Background
Lauren Childs-Gleason serves as the DEVELOP Science Manager. In this role she leads the strategic direction of DEVELOP's projects, advises project teams, oversees partner engagement, and leads the program's science communication initiatives. She also serves as one of the Equity & Environmental Justice Associate Program Managers, where she helps manage the portfolio of projects and outreach activities.
Lauren supports NASA’s contributions to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), actively participating in the Working Group for Capacity Building and Data Democracy. She serves as an officer in the American Association of Geographer’s (AAG) Applied Geography Specialty Group and participates in the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP).
Lauren began working with NASA in 2006 at John C. Stennis Space Center for the NASA DEVELOP Program. She transitioned to Langley Research Center in 2009 to join the DEVELOP National Program Office and served as the DEVELOP operations lead from 2009–2018. From 2018-2021 she served as the Analysis & Coordination Lead of the Capacity Building Program.
Lauren holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Geography from the University of New Orleans and California State University Long Beach, respectively.