Jim Garvin was born in a blizzard in Poughkeepsie (New York) and educated at Brown and Stanford Universities. He received his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Brown University in 1984 where his dissertation emphasized the geologic exploration of the surfaces of Mars and Venus. For the past 34 years he has served NASA as a scientist in various capacities, including his present role as the Chief Scientist of NASA’s flagship science center (Goddard Space Flight Center), as well as a member of the MSL/Curiosity Mars rover and Mars InSight Lander Science Teams. He is also serving NASA Headquarters as a special science advisor for Mars to the Mars Program Director. In his overall present capacity, he is helping to plan NASA’s continuing Mars exploration program, catalyze new missions to Mars, Venus, and Earth, orchestrate innovative scientific research, and to help integrate human and robotic exploration.