Lawrence Friedl

Lawrence Friedl serves as the Director of the Applied Sciences Program within the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters. The program enables uses of Earth science information to inform decisions and actions by public and private sector organizations. He has been with NASA Earth Science since 2002, and he served as a program manager for the air quality, coastal management, water resources, and wildfires programs over the years.

Beyond NASA, he serves as a Co-Chair of the interagency U.S. Group on Earth Observations, NASA Principal to the Civil Applications Committee, Co-Chair of GEO’s Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG), and the National Space Club’s Award Committee for Innovative Uses of Earth Observation Satellite Data. He is also active with the GEOValue community and the Transforming Evidence Funders Network.

Previously, Lawrence worked at US EPA, focusing on applications of geospatial data and technology. He also served as a Space Shuttle Flight Controller in NASA’s Mission Control Center, including several Earth science missions.

Lawrence received a Masters degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and he received a Bachelors degree in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University.