Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Adriana Ocampo and her family moved to the United States when she was 14. In high school, Ocampo first volunteered, then worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where she analyzed images sent by the Viking spacecraft. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in geology in 1983, she took on a research scientist position at JPL. Research for her PhD led to the discovery of the Chicxulub impact crater. The impact that formed this crater caused the extinction of more than 50% of the Earth’s species. Ocampo has led six research expeditions to study the site. She was also responsible for the New Frontier Exploration missions, Juno Mission to Jupiter and New Horizons to Pluto. Asteroid 177120 Ocampo Uría is named after Adriana.
