Dante Lauretta

Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, is the principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx. He leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Dante has been part of the mission since its inception, and he coined the mission acronym, OSIRIS-REx. He is a professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona and a UArizona alumnus, graduating with dual degrees in Physics & Mathematics and Oriental Studies, emphasis in Japanese. He earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Washington University. Outside of the mission, Dante designs games for his company, Xtronaut, which aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and citizen scientists through space mission-related games and education programs. Dante also sits on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson. In his spare time, Dante enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.