NASA FINESST Fellow; Ph.D. candidate | Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University
📍 Library of Congress · Washington, D.C. · December 10, 2026 · 6 p.m. ET
Jessica Atkin is a NASA FINESST Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University. Her research centers on plant–microbe partnerships capable of converting lunar regolith — the rocky surface material of the Moon — into a viable growing medium for food production. Her work sits at the intersection of astrobiology, soil science and space exploration.
Jess loves teaching and sharing science. She works with K–12 students, mentors young researchers, and discusses her work through podcasts and interviews with media outlets around the world. She uses the excitement of space research to spark conversations about agriculture and explore how what we learn in space could help us grow food more sustainably here on Earth.
Beyond the lab, Atkin has reached more than 5,000 K–12 students through Skype a Scientist and serves on the Science Advisory Board of the Plant the Moon Challenge. In 2026, she delivered a TEDx talk in Mumbai on the future of food beyond Earth.
“When I got the email, my first instinct was to check the recipients because I thought, surely this cannot be for me — they must have sent it to the wrong person. But after I read it, I felt incredibly grateful to be recognized by my peers and other scientists who I respect so much. It means everything.”
“Jessica Atkin exemplifies what the CSCS was created to recognize. She is doing groundbreaking work on one of the most fundamental questions in agriculture — how plants can survive and grow beyond Earth — and she has made that work accessible and compelling to thousands of students. CAST is proud to support scientists who bridge the gap between the lab and the public.”
“The Moon is the perfect test bed for agricultural purposes because you have such extreme conditions and limited resources — and we face a lot of those same limitations here on Earth. Every single thing we learn in this extreme environment goes right back to feeding people here.”
“We need to make science more relatable to everyone, not just speaking like we’re at a conference to each other. I’m really lucky because space biology gets everyone excited — I don’t know anyone that hasn’t gone out at night and looked at the Moon and the stars and been curious.”
On December 10, 2026 — the anniversary of Dr. Norman Borlaug’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 — CAST will present the 2026 CAST Science Communication Scholarship at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Jessica Atkin will be recognized for her commitment to making agricultural science accessible to new audiences — from elementary school students to TEDx audiences — and for research that asks one of the most fundamental questions in agriculture: how can plants grow beyond Earth?
The ceremony takes place alongside the Borlaug CAST Communication Award and the CAST Lifetime Achievement Award. Additional program details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Additional program participants will be announced prior to the event.
The 2025 CAST Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony was made possible through the generous support of:
CAST names Jessica Atkin, a NASA FINESST Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University, as the recipient of the 2026 CAST Science Communication Scholarship. Atkin’s research explores how plants can grow on the Moon.
Recognize excellence in agricultural science communication. The 2026 CAST Science Communication Scholarship awards $1,000 to one undergraduate or graduate student who best translates complex agricultural topics into clear, accurate, and impactful messages. Applications close July 31, 2026.
Suraksha is a Ph.D. student in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University, researching how behavioral and economic insights can move communities toward more sustainable choices.
Supporting the next generation of agricultural science communicators at the student level.
CAST’s premier annual honor — recognizing mid-career professionals bridging science and society.
CAST’s honor — for sustained, career-long impact at the national or international level.
