Christine Lee

About Christine Lee

I’m a research scientist at NASA\'s Jet Propulsion Laboratory with over 15 years of experience applying Earth data and observations to advance water resources, ecosystems, and environmental monitoring. My work focuses on leveraging satellite data to study Earth, spanning wildfire impacts on coasts, coral reef health, water quality, and land-ocean processes, and translating these findings to practical insights. I currently serve as the Acting Applications Project Scientist for NASA’s Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission and have led multiple projects integrating ECOSTRESS and other satellite observations into applied science efforts. My background combines engineering, Earth science, and program development for NASA Earth Science.With more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, national media features, and recognition from NASA, and JPL, I also prioritize mentoring—having advised over 50 students, interns, and postdocs. I enjoy building bridges between science, technology, and real-world decision-making. Let’s connect if you’re working on Earth science, remote sensing, or applied environmental research.

Experience

1. Research Scientist in the Water and Ecosystems Group

   NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

   Nov 2019 — Present · Pasadena, CA, US

   Associate Program Manager, NASA Water Resources (20••••22)Applications Lead, ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) Applications Co-Lead, Surface Biology and Geology DO Study On-going Projects2024-current JPL PI, Assessing Wildfire Impacts on California’s Coastal Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystems (NASA JPL SURP program)2024-current JPL Co-I, Fishpond stewardship through community collaboration and remote sensing,(NASA-EEJ)2024-current PI, A new era of Earth Action: linking coral health and societal well-being through NASA earth observations (NASA JPL / Caltech PDRDF grant)2023-current Co-I, Understanding the integrated ecosystem and geomorphologic evolutions across the land-ocean gradient in response to dam disruptions (NASA IDS)2023-current JPL PI/Co-I, Impacts of changing wildfire regimes on human communities and water security (NASA IDS) 2023-current JPL PI/Co-I, Reducing human health risk and exposure to wastewater spills in coastal environments (NASA AA4RA)2022-current Co-I, Fire Risk Vulnerability Prediction and Fire Tracking (Invited, NASA)2022-current JPL PI/Co-I, Integrating ECOSTRESS into Community Research (NASA ECOSTRESS)2022-current Co-I, Building a model for regenerative kelp cultivation in coastal oceans (NASA ROSES)2022-current JPL PI/Co-I, Application of UAV and satellite based optical sensors to preserve coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands (NASA EpSCOR)2021-current JPL PI/Co-I, Wildfire Impacts on Carbon Transport to Coasts (MUREP/NASA OBB)20••••24 PI, Coastal Habitat Vulnerability Assessment Using Satellite Remote Sensing (California Ocean Protection Council)

Education

• UCLA

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Civil and Environmental Engineering, Urban Planning minor

  2005 — 2010

• UCLA

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemical Engineering, English minor

  2000 — 2005

Skills

• Climate Change
• Science Communication
• Environmental Science
• Science Policy
• Water Resources
• Water Quality
• Field Work
• Water
• Microbiology
• Environmental Policy
• Science
• Environmental Awareness
• Environmental Engineering
• Scientific Writing