Dr. Roger Wiens

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Roger Wiens. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Roger Wiens is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, Planetary Sciences at Purdue University, with a courtesy appointment in Aerospace Astronautical Engineering. He is also a Senior Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Wiens' research specializes in planetary science with a focus on Mars and cosmochemistry, particularly the isotopic elemental abundances of solar systems. He has developed instruments such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy. Throughout his distinguished career, Wiens has held pivotal roles in several high-profile missions including as the Principal Investigator for the ChemCam and SuperCam instruments on the Mars rovers, which analyze the elemental compositions of Martian rocks and soils. His contributions to space science have been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple NASA Group Achievement Awards and the Distinguished Performance Award from LANL. Wiens' education includes a Ph.D. focused on Mars atmospheric samples from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Physics from Wheaton College. His extensive experience in planetary exploration significantly advances our understanding of the solar system, particularly Mars, through innovative remote sensing technologies.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2020-01-01 — Present

Purdue University • West Lafayette, IN

Teach and conduct research in planetary science and related fields.

Senior Fellow

2017-01-01 — Present

Los Alamos National Laboratory • Los Alamos, NM

Lead research on advanced instrumentation for planetary exploration.

Awards

#

NASA Group Achievement Award

2023-01-01
#

R&D 100 Award

2020-01-01
#

Los Alamos National Laboratory Distinguished Performance Award

2019-01-01

Requirements for Purdue University

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:22
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:135
Overall
Required:135
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in CS or related field Foundational concepts of computer science Data structures Computer architecture Operating systems Mathematics through differential equations Linear and matrix algebra
Application Checklist
  • Official Transcripts
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Resume
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • CS Supplementary Form
Specialization Notes

GRE is not required.