Dr. Eleanor Stokes is the Program Manager for the Earth Information Center.   She leads a team of Earth scientists, artists, computer scientists, and communicators to develop physical and virtual centers to expand the public’s engagement with NASA Earth science, thereby amplifying its impact.  The Earth Information Center program serves as an entry point for visitors into the NASA Earth ecosystem and a connection to deeper exploration of other NASA Earth science programs, tools, and data.  In her role, Dr. Stokes works to improve public understanding about our dynamic planet, addressing access barriers to Earth data and insights that non-scientific audiences and underserved communities face. 

Prior to joining headquarters, she served as a Principal Investigator leading mission concept development and scientific research activities for NASA’s Black Marble.  She was an early user of Earth at Night data, refining the first processing algorithms and developing novel methods to track urbanization dynamics. She is a trained as an urban land scientist, and throughout her career has been interested in how human activities are shaping the planet.  

Dr. Stokes holds a PhD from Yale’s school of the Environment, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and a Bachelors in Math and Studio Art from Dartmouth College. She is a contributing author on the UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR 2022), and has received honors for her scientific contributions, including being named as one of ESRI’s “Women Stars of Spatial Science” (2020), Geospatial World’s 50 Rising Stars (2021), and earning the Kuno award for scientists creating transformative social impact (2022).  She also has had her design work shown in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and is passionate about communicating science through visual media.