SwRI® researcher awarded Urey Prize

For immediate release

Boulder, Colorado - December 5, 2002 - The Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has awarded its Urey Prize in Planetary Sciences to Dr. Robin M. Canup, assistant director of the Space Studies Department at Southwest Research Institute®. Canup was selected as the 2003 recipient of the award, named in honor of the late Nobel laureate Harold C. Urey, who made significant advances in the fields of physical chemistry, geochemistry, lunar science, and astrochemistry.

The Urey Prize recognizes outstanding achievements in planetary science by a young scientist. Canup was recognized for her groundbreaking research contributions on the moons origin and dynamical evolution. She has published numerous technical articles on the origin of the moon, planetary and satellite formation, and the physics of planetary rings. She has also given many commentaries on television and the popular science journals, particularly on the formation of the moon.

The Urey Prize is the worlds premier peer recognition award for accomplishment by an outstanding young planetary scientist, and we are proud of the fact that SwRI nurtures young scientists and engineers to achieve great things," says Dr. S. Alan Stern, director of the SwRI Space Studies Department. Robin is extremely hard-working, highly creative, and just plain smart. She provides a tremendous role model for what an outstanding young scientist can achieve."

Her significant contributions at this age leave us hopeful for the many achievements yet to come," says J. Dan Bates, SwRI president. SwRI will continue to support Robin and our other space scientists and engineers as they take humankinds understanding ever deeper into the solar system."

Canup holds a bachelors degree in physics from Duke University and a doctorate in astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder; she joined SwRI in 1998. She will receive the Urey Prize and a cash award from the AAS at the annual meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences in Monterey, California, in September 2003.

Editors: A color photograph of Canup is available at www.swri.org/press/canup.htm.

-30-

SwRI is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development
organization based in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 2,700 employee
and an annual research volume of more than $319 million.