Drake Awards Celebrate the Search for Life Beyond Earth

On May 20, the SETI Institute held its annual Drake Awards event in Mountain View, CA, honoring contributions to SETI or astrobiology through scientific research and space exploration. This year's recipients of the Drake Award were Dr. John Baross and Dr. David Deamer, both renowned for their pioneering work in astrobiology, which focuses on understanding the origins of life. Each approaches the question from a different perspective. Deamer, a biomolecular engineer specializing in membranes and RNA formation in shallow water environments, is recognized for advancing new theories on the origins and processes of life in the Universe. Baross, a microbiologist, focuses on hydrothermal vents and deep-sea chemistry, considering them the cradle of life, and has pioneered research on extremophiles to decipher the origins of life on Earth and beyond.

In addition, the SETI Institute also recognized Dr. Joseph Twicken for his achievements in exoplanet research. Now serving as the Lead Data Scientist in the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) Science Processing Center, Twicken’s contributions to the Kepler Mission included designing, implementing, operating, maintaining and documenting the mission’s Data Processing Pipeline. Kepler revolutionized exoplanet science, discovering and confirming nearly 3,000 exoplanets and fundamentally changing our understanding of planets beyond our solar system.

To support the next generation of scientists, the SETI Institute awarded the SETI Forward Award and the REU Award of Excellence to three exemplary undergraduate students for their research. This year, Gabriella Rizzo and Pritvik Sinhadc received the SETI Forward Award for their work in extreme environments and gravitational waves, respectively. Sophie Clark received the REU Award of Excellence for her research on a project exploring protoplanetary disk winds.

This year, the SETI Institute incorporated a new element to the Drake Awards celebration. Sponsored by the SETI AIR (Artist-in-Residence) program, bioartist Jennifer Willet, Director of the INCUBATOR Art Lab, created a collage inspired by the work of Baross and Deamer. Dreams of Biogenesis imagines the birth of life on our planet as a reverie of molecules, cells, micro and multicellular organisms assembling and evolving under unique environmental conditions. The work holds multiple visions, hypotheses and daydreams about the origins of life on our planet within a single frame.

The SETI Institute is grateful to the sponsors of this year’s Drake Awards, including:

• Drake Award Sponsors: Avery Wang & Katja Rault-Wang and John & Carol Giannandrea
• Carl Sagan Director’s Award Sponsors: Elizebeth Varghese & Matthew Veedon
• SETI Forward Sponsor: Christine Dawood
• Supporting Sponsor: Breakthrough Listen
• Reception Sponsor: Amaresh Kollipara
• Table Sponsors: Mohanjit Jolly, Dan Lankford, Mannan Latif, Nathalie Cabrol, Stephen Trimberger
• Virtual Event Sponsors: Dane Glasgow & Jill Tarter, as well as NFP, An Aon Company

This special annual event brings together a community of scientists, students, industry leaders and space enthusiasts to celebrate groundbreaking discoveries in the search for life beyond Earth.