Amy Williams – UF Innovate

Mars Rover Detects Never-Before-Seen Organic Compounds in New Experiment (UF News)

sooyoungryu — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:24:35 +0000

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover uncovered a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth.

The findings, which come from a chemical experiment performed for the first time on another world, reveal that the Martian surface can preserve the kinds of molecules that could serve as signs of ancient life. However, this experiment cannot distinguish between organic compounds from potential past life on Mars and those formed through geologic processes or delivered by meteorites.

UF Astraeus Faculty Help Shape National Science Strategy for Human Exploration of Mars (UF News)

sooyoungryu — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:53:57 +0000

Two University of Florida researchers with the Astraeus Space Institute played key leadership roles in a major National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report released in December that will help guide U.S. science priorities for future human missions to Mars.

The report was developed over nearly two years by an ad hoc committee convened by the National Academies’ Space Studies Board. The study outlines how human exploration campaigns on the Martian surface can advance high-priority scientific goals while preparing for sustained human presence on the planet.

Tech Tuesday: University of Florida Astrobiologist Searches for Signs of Life on Mars (WCJB TV20)

sooyoungryu — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:20:10 +0000

Dr. Amy Williams, Astrobiology

In this week’s Tech Tuesday, UF Innovate spotlights Dr. Amy Williams, an astrobiologist at the University of Florida, and the fascinating research she and her team are doing to search for signs of life on Mars.

“Amy, tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you do,” Elora Duong, the host of UF Innovate, requested.

“Absolutely. My name is Dr. Amy Williams. I am an astrobiologist here in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida. As an astrobiologist, I’m interested in how you search for life beyond Earth,” Dr. Amy Williams, Associate Professor, Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida, responded.

Percy and LISA

sooyoungryu — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

UF space researchers play pivotal roles in major missions.

John Conklin and Amy Williams both faced pivotal career moments as young doctoral students.

Conklin knew exactly what he wanted: A chance to work on gravitational waves that began rippling across the universe when black holes collided billions of years ago. More than two decades later, Conklin still speaks avidly about precisely measuring the ancient, unseeable forces that shaped the universe.

Williams had a burgeoning passion for astrobiology and geobiology research, pivoting from earth science as her academic career progressed. In early 2009, her research options were starkly different: Live in Antarctica for three months and dive in frigid lakes to study microbial growth. Or she could work on Mars research.