The winners of the 2026 Betty Pierazzo International Student Travel Award, established by the Planetary Science Institute have been selected.
The Pierazzo International Student Travel Award was begun by PSI in memory of Senior Scientist Betty Pierazzo to support and encourage graduate students to build international collaborations and relationships in planetary science.
Sarah Stewart of the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, will receive the award for a non-U.S.-based graduate student going to a planetary-related conference within the U.S. She will attend the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) in Madison, Wisconsin May 17-22, 2026. Her research focuses on the role of mineral surfaces (particularly clays) in the formation and preservation of proto-proteins using molecular dynamics simulations. Stewart has submitted a conference abstract titled “Amino Acid-Clay Interactions on Mars-Relevant Minerals: Insights from Molecular Simulations.”
Emily Elizondo of Michigan State University will receive the award for a U.S.-based graduate student attending a planetary-related conference outside of the U.S. She will be attending the “Building the Hard Rocky Planets – From Mercury to the asteroid belt” workshop, which will be held in Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire, France, June 22-26, 2026. Her research focuses on the later stages of terrestrial planet formation in the Solar System and the implantation of impact debris into the asteroid belt. Her presentation title will be “From Rings to Planets: Modeling Debris Generation & Evolution in Terrestrial Planet Formation.”
“A large number of compelling applications were submitted this year and we were pleased to select Emily Elizondo and Sarah Stewart. We are honored to continue Betty’s legacy in this impactful way,” said PSI Director Amanda Hendrix.
A PSI representative will present each awardee with a certificate and check for $2,000 at their respective conferences.
Betty Pierazzo was an expert in the area of impact modeling throughout the Solar System, as well as an expert on the astrobiological and environmental effects of impacts on Earth and Mars. In addition to her research, she was passionate about education, teaching and public outreach, developing planetary-related classroom materials, professional development workshops for teachers, and teaching college-level classes herself. Betty believed in the strength of broad collaborations in all of her research and education activities. This award memorializes the scope of how she lived her life and the good she sought to bring to our profession and communities.