Lori Magruder

Lori Magruder serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin, holding the Myron L. Begeman Fellowship in Engineering since joining the faculty in Fall 2020. She also holds a courtesy faculty appointment in the UT Jackson School of Geosciences Earth and Planetary Sciences department. In January 2024, she became the first woman Director of the University of Texas Center for Space Research, following roles as associate director of research and communications (2020-2022) and interim director (2023). Magruder's academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from UT Austin in 2001, where her dissertation focused on ground-based validation studies for NASA's ICESat laser altimetry mission under Professor Bob Schutz. She earned her Master's degree from Princeton University and Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. Prior to her current faculty position, she spent 14 years at UT Austin’s Applied Research Laboratories, and held positions at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, leading remote sensing programs for NASA and the Department of Defense.

Her research centers on advancing remote sensing and sensemaking technologies for geospatial applications, with expertise in laser altimetry, lidar data validation, and 3D geospatial analysis. Magruder led the ICESat-2 Science Team for a decade, overseeing mission development and early on-orbit operations, and served as principal investigator for precision pointing determination and geolocation validation studies. She contributes to bathymetry data product development and is a member of the NASA Surface Topography and Vegetation Science Team. Through her 3D Geospatial Laboratory, she develops software for automation in environmental assessments, focusing on nearshore bathymetry and terrestrial ecology. Notable publications include "The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2): science requirements, concept, and implementation" (2017, Remote Sensing of Environment), "The Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 Mission: A global geolocated photon product derived from the advanced topographic laser altimeter system" (2019, Remote Sensing of Environment), and "Validation of ICESat-2 ATLAS bathymetry and analysis of ATLAS’s bathymetric mapping performance" (2019, Remote Sensing). Her impact is recognized by election as Associate Fellow of the AIAA in 2025 and inclusion among 50 Women Making an Impact in the Space and Satellite Industry in 2026.

Professional Email: lori.magruder@austin.utexas.edu