Veronica Josefine Bray Durfey
- Associate Research Professor
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- (520) 626-1967
- Charles P. Sonett Space Sci., Rm. 106
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- vjbray@lpl.arizona.edu
Biography
A geologically-trained planetary scientist and spacecraft science operations engineer, with over 15 years of surface science research, and over 10 years of experience with mission operations/design.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Earth and Space Science
- Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- Impact Crater Formation on the Icy Galilean Satellites
- M.S. Planetary Science
- University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Meander Geometry of Venusian Canali (MSci) and Origin and Evolution of Palimpsests on Ganymede (BSc)
Awards
- Barnes Lecturer
- Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas at Austin, TX, Spring 2024
- Janet Watson Departmental Scholarship
- Imperial College/Royal School of Mines, Spring 2024
- Main Belt Asteroid #204570 Veronicabray (2005 EA317)
- New Horizons Team, Spring 2024
- Alumni Award: Emerging Leader
- Imperial College London, Spring 2020
- NASA Group Achievement Award
- NASA, Spring 2016
- NASA, Spring 2014
- NASA, Spring 2011
- NASA, Spring 2010
- CoSSAC Professional Development Grant
- College of Science, University of Arizona, Spring 2015
- European Space Agency's Young Scientist Scholarship
- ESA, Spring 2006
- Dean's Award for Planetary Science
- University College London, Spring 2004
- Planetary Science Prize for Academic Excellence
- University College London, Spring 2001
Interests
Teaching
Astrobiology PTYS214
Research
Developing of spacecraft instrumentation for landed missions throughout the solar system.Impact craters, their environmental effects, and discovery with remote sensing. Analysis of crater morphology and impact melt generation across the solar system as a means to compare the surface and subsurface properties of planetary bodies. Recreation of cratering with numerical models, and the development of suitable strength models and equations of state to approximate a variety of planetary crusts.
Courses
2024-25 Courses
-
Life in the Cosmos
ASTR 214 (Spring 2025) -
Life in the Cosmos
GEOS 214 (Spring 2025) -
Life in the Cosmos
PTYS 214 (Spring 2025) -
Life in the Cosmos
ASTR 214 (Fall 2024) -
Life in the Cosmos
GEOS 214 (Fall 2024) -
Life in the Cosmos
PTYS 214 (Fall 2024)
Scholarly Contributions
Journals/Publications
- Hedgepeth, J. E., Neish, C. D., & Bray, V. J. (2023). Impact Crater Morphometry on Pluto: Implications for Surface Composition and Evolution. \psj, 4(10), 190.
- Leiva, R., Spencer, J., Lauer, T., Benecchi, S., Singer, K., Glass, F., Skrutskie, M., Alexander, A., Hong, P., Reitsema, H., Lin, E., Lykawka, P., Ito, T., Marschall, R., Simpson, A., Banks, M., Ishimaru, R., Holt, T., Postman, M., , Olkin, C., et al. (2023). 2013 LU35. Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, 2023-F108.
- Leiva, R., Spencer, J., Lauer, T., Benecchi, S., Singer, K., Glass, F., Skrutskie, M., Alexander, A., Hong, P., Reitsema, H., Lin, E., Lykawka, P., Ito, T., Marschall, R., Simpson, A., Banks, M., Ishimaru, R., Holt, T., Postman, M., , Olkin, C., et al. (2023). 2014 MH105. Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, 2023-U28.
- Leiva, R., Spencer, J., Lauer, T., Benecchi, S., Singer, K., Glass, F., Skrutskie, M., Alexander, A., Hong, P., Reitsema, H., Lin, E., Lykawka, P., Ito, T., Marschall, R., Simpson, A., Banks, M., Ishimaru, R., Holt, T., Postman, M., , Olkin, C., et al. (2023). 2014 PN70. Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, 2023-F106.
- Leiva, R., Spencer, J., Lauer, T., Benecchi, S., Singer, K., Glass, F., Skrutskie, M., Alexander, A., Hong, P., Reitsema, H., Lin, E., Lykawka, P., Ito, T., Marschall, R., Simpson, A., Banks, M., Ishimaru, R., Holt, T., Postman, M., , Olkin, C., et al. (2023). 2021 LD44. Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, 2023-F109.
- Leiva, R., Spencer, J., Lauer, T., Benecchi, S., Singer, K., Glass, F., Skrutskie, M., Alexander, A., Hong, P., Reitsema, H., Lin, E., Lykawka, P., Ito, T., Marschall, R., Simpson, A., Banks, M., Ishimaru, R., Holt, T., Postman, M., , Olkin, C., et al. (2023). 2021 LP44. Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, 2023-F110.
- Leiva, R., Spencer, J., Lauer, T., Benecchi, S., Singer, K., Glass, F., Skrutskie, M., Alexander, A., Hong, P., Reitsema, H., Lin, E., Lykawka, P., Ito, T., Marschall, R., Simpson, A., Banks, M., Ishimaru, R., Holt, T., Postman, M., , Olkin, C., et al. (2023). Six New Tnos. Minor Planet Electronic Circulars, 2023-F132.
- Rae, A., & Bray, V. (2023). Effects on Target Geology. EarthArXiv eprints, X5H97T.
Proceedings Publications
- Bland, M., & Bray, V. (2023, mar). Large Shallow Craters on Callisto and Ganymede as an Inevitable Result of Viscous Relaxation. In LPI Contributions, 2806.
- Bray, V., Zeilnhofer, M., Schenk, P., Bland, M., & Robbins, S. (2023, mar). Complex Impact Crater Dimensions on Large Icy Bodies. In LPI Contributions, 2806.
