Jess Todd

Dr. Jessica Todd is a robotics postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology, and a graduate of the MIT AeroAstro Department and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's MIT-WHOI Joint Program. Dr. Todd's research focuses on building intelligent and adaptable robotic systems for exploration and science gathering in extreme environments, such as the surface of Mars or the depths of the ocean. She completed her Ph.D. Jointly with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2024, and her Master of Science at MIT in 2019. Jessica is passionate about developing scientific systems that can aid both Earth and planetary scientists in expeditionary science. Her past research includes virtual and augmented reality environments for astronaut training and robotic control, self-assembling observation towers for the lunar surface, and mission concept designs for scientific missions to Titan, Triton and Ceres. Jessica has a Bachelor of Physics and Bachelor of Aeronautical Space Engineering from the University of Sydney. She interned at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab as part of the Mars Science Helicopter team, and at Gilmour Space Technologies, Australia's leading rocket company. She has tested robots on the International Space Station, travelled to Antarctica as part of the Homeward Bound leadership project, spent two weeks as a simulation Mars astronaut in the deserts of Utah, and conducted robotic fieldwork in the Caribbean, Svalbard and the North Arctic Ocean. Jessica was named a 2022 National Geographic Explorer for her work on robotics for coral reef conservation and planetary exploration. When she’s not conducting fieldwork on the reefs of the Caribbean or in the Arctic Circle, Jessica is a passionate SCUBA diver and EMT, and women in STEM advocate.