David C. Catling is a Professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, studying planetary surfaces, atmospheres, and habitability. He actively participates in the research of NASA's Astrobiology Institute and is the author of Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction (2013). He has taught courses in planetary atmospheres, planetary geology, astrobiology, and global environmental change at undergraduate and graduate levels. He was also an investigator for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, which successfully operated in the arctic of Mars during 2008.