Lawrence Friedl

Lawrence Friedl serves as the director of the Applied Sciences Program within the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters. The Program supports efforts to discover and demonstrate innovative and practical applications of Earth science by government, business, and other organizations. He has been with NASA since 2002, and he has served as the program manager for air quality applications along with several other applications themes.

Among his responsibilities, Lawrence is a Vice-Chair of the interagency U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) and represents the United States on the international Group on Earth Observations (GEO). He is the NASA Principal for the interagency Civil Applications Committee. He serves on the International Committee for Remote Sensing of Environment (ICORSE) and the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) International Scientific Advisory Committee. He recently served on the National Space Club’s Award Committee for Innovative Uses of Earth Observation Satellite Data and the Organizing Committee for the American Meteorological Society 2014 meeting.

Prior to joining NASA, Lawrence worked at the US Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on applications of geospatial data and technology. He also served as a Space Shuttle Flight Controller in NASA’s Mission Control Center for 15 missions, including several Earth science missions. He joined the Federal government as a Presidential Management Intern.

Lawrence received a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, specializing in science and technology policy. He received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. He also received a certificate in Space Policy and Law from the International Space University.