Erin Urquhart 

Dr. Erin Urquhart serves as the Program Manager for the NASA Earth Action Water Resources program within NASA’s Earth Science Division at Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In this role, she leads efforts to integrate NASA Earth science data into decision-support tools, partnering with institutions and water management agencies to co-develop innovative solutions that optimize water use and protect water quality. Through these cross-sector collaborations, she works to strengthen water systems resilience, empower communities, and reduce water-related risks. She oversees a team of NASA water experts to coordinate a national community of funded applied researchers, foster collaborations with decision-makers, and build partnerships across NASA science and applications.  

Alongside her expertise in Earth and planetary science, Dr. Urquhart is recognized for her technical and program leadership in mission applications, applied research program management, and the integration of Design Thinking into science. 

Throughout her career, Dr. Urquhart has focused her research on utilizing satellite data to monitor and model water quality in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. Her work has directly addressed critical management challenges, including recreational water safety, access to clean drinking water, safe and sustainable aquaculture, and the protection of public health. 

Dr. Urquhart joined NASA’s Earth Science Division in 2019 as Mission Applications Lead for NASA’s PACE mission at Goddard Space Flight Center. She also served as an Associate Program Manager for Water Quality, where she managed a portfolio of projects dedicated to connecting NASA data to real-world water quality solutions and societal needs. 

Prior to NASA, Dr. Urquhart completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There, she led the development of national lake water quality extent metrics as part of the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN). 

Dr. Urquhart earned a B.S. in Global Environmental Studies and Geography from Sonoma State University, an M.H.S. in Environmental Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Ph.D. in Earth & Planetary Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. Her doctoral research focused on detecting pathogenic Vibrio bacteria using Earth observations in estuarine environments. Additionally, she holds professional Design Thinking certificates from Cornell University and the Stanford d.school through IDEO U.