School of Earth and Space Exploration

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School of Earth and Space Exploration
TypeAcademic unit of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Established2006
Parent institution
Arizona State University
DirectorVacant
Undergraduates1,069
Postgraduates119
Address
781 E. Terrace Mall
,
Tempe, Arizona
,
United States
Websitesese.asu.edu

The School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) is an academic unit of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. It was established in 2006 by university president Michael M. Crow. As part of Crow's New American University model,[1] the focus areas of SESE include research in both Earth and space exploration. The school is located on ASU's Tempe campus and is primarily housed in Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 4.

Academics

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The School of Earth and Space Exploration offers eight undergraduate degrees and twelve graduate programs in a variety of interdisciplinary fields, including astronomy, geology, and systems engineering.[2][3] As of 2025, there were 1,069 undergraduates and 119 graduate students in SESE programs, while over 6,000 students were enrolled in at least one class offered by the school.[4]

Involvement in space exploration missions

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The School of Earth and Space Exploration has been involved in a number of space exploration missions, including Psyche (which was led by the school[5]), OSIRIS-REx, and Europa Clipper. Through SESE, ASU is in the top 2% for NASA-funded research expenditures.[6]

In 2022, the US Space Force selected ASU and SESE to be a member of its University Partnership Program.[7]

Leadership

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The first director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration was Kip Hodges, who directed the school from its founding in 2006 to 2013. He was succeeded by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, who stepped down from the director role in 2019 to become the principal investigator on the Psyche mission. The most recent director of SESE was Meenakshi Wadhwa, who departed in 2025 to become the vice chancellor for Marine Sciences at UC San Diego.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Day, Natalie (2015-10-21). "Lessons from a 'new American university'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  2. ^ "Undergraduate Degrees | School of Earth and Space Exploration". sese.asu.edu. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  3. ^ "Graduate Degrees | School of Earth and Space Exploration". sese.asu.edu. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  4. ^ Arrowsmith, Ramón and Wadhwa, Meenakshi. "School of Earth and Space Exploration Community Update". 2025-08-17.
  5. ^ "NASA's Psyche Captures Images of Earth, Moon - NASA". 2025-08-19. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  6. ^ "ASU making its mark across the universe | ASU News". news.asu.edu. 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  7. ^ "U.S. Space Force selects Arizona State University for partnership". United States Space Force. Archived from the original on 2025-09-07. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  8. ^ "Meenakshi Wadhwa Selected as Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences at UC San Diego". today.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2025-09-18.