Curtis D. Williams

Curtis D. Williams is a Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. He leads the Emerging Worlds and Solar System Workings programs, which support research related to the formation and evolution of our solar system. He is also a caucus member of the Laboratory Analysis of Returned Samples program, which solicits the development of laboratory instrumentation and advanced techniques required for analyzing returned samples and directly examining samples already brought back to Earth.

Prior to joining NASA Headquarters, Curtis served as a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation, where he oversaw various Geoscience funding programs addressing some of the nation’s most pressing needs, such as climate change, clean energy, and natural hazards. He was also a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California-Davis, where his research explored the formation of Earth’s atmosphere and its deep interior.

Curtis earned his Ph.D. from Arizona State University as a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow, focusing on deciphering the formation and evolutionary history of our solar system. He also holds a B.S. and M.S. in Geological Sciences from Indiana University-Bloomington, with a focus on economic geology. His studies are both discipline-specific and multidisciplinary in nature, often requiring close collaboration across STEM fields.

A lifelong learner, Curtis recently obtained an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is passionate about fostering a culture of discovery and ingenuity.

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