Dawn Sumner Explained

Dawn Y. Sumner
Birth Place:	Seattle, Washington (state), USA
Workplaces:	University of California, Davis
Alma Mater:	Caltech MIT
Known For:	Microbial life in extreme environments ancient microbial life
Awards:	Fellow of the Geological Society of America Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in Geosciences, Geobiology and Microbiology from the Geological Society of America
Website:	https://dysumner.faculty.ucdavis.edu/

Dawn Yvonne Sumner is an American geologist, planetary scientist, and astrobiologist. She is a professor at the University of California, Davis. Sumner's research includes evaluating microbial communities in Antarctic lakes, exploration of Mars via the Curiosity rover, and characterization of microbial communities in the lab and from ancient geologic samples. She is an investigator on the NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and was Chair of the UC Davis Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences^[1] from 2014 to 2016.^[2] She is Fellow of the Geological Society of America.^[3]

Early life and education

Sumner was born near Seattle, Washington, and spent part of her childhood on the Yakama Indian Reservation in the Pacific Northwest.^[4] From there, she earned a B.S. with Honors in geology from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for her Ph.D. which she completed in 1995. Sumner then returned Caltech for postdoctoral research, supported by an O.K. Earl Postdoctoral Fellowship.^[5]

Career

• Ancient Microbial Communities is part of Sumner's research which includes understanding microbial evolution and ecology and Earth history through microbial signatures in the rock record. Her publications feature new developments in how to interpret ancient biological responses to environmental factors, tracing oxygenation^[6] and the impact on carbonate microbial biological signatures.^[7] Sumner has also studied carbon isotopes of specific carbonates in order to find evidence of life.^[8]
• Antarctic Lakes Sumner's research utilizes Antarctic lakes as a model system for understanding microbial processes, early oxygenic photosynthesis, and life on other planets. This work includes the discovery of pinnacles of microbial growth under ice-covered lakes^[9] and describes multiple microbial communities involved in the development of these features. Similar features in another Antarctic lake appear to record changes in the lake environment, including sea level, through time.^[10]
• Exploration of Mars and its Environments Professor Sumner's research with the Mars Science Laboratory has generated over three dozen collaborative publications and helped uncover evidence of ancient lakes on Mars.^[11] Sumner's research has established that parts of ancient Mars could have hosted life as we know it on Earth,^[12] and contributed to the discovery of organic molecules on Mars.^[13] As a geologist, Sumner applies many of the same principles that would be used on earth, such as stratigraphy and geochemistry, to the Martian environment.^[14] Sumner is a MSL “long term planner”,^[15] one of several lead geoscientists amongst more than five hundred scientists not directly employed by NASA on this project. Sumner was involved in the creation of a geological map of Gale crater, and selecting the landing site of Curiosity.^[16] Sumner was partially responsible for the assignment of daily operations to fit the long-term missions goals.^[17] and also involved in future planning for additional Mars exploration, including a mission in 2020.^[18]
• Neoarchean Geological Time Period is a part of Professor Sumner's research that has been accumulated in South Africa. Sumner has studied the precipitation of multiple elements including carbonate and aragonite. This research has led Sumner to develop new understandings of the oceans pH in Neoarchean time period which can lead to discoveries in the changes of the oceans pH through time.^[19] Sumner's conducted this research using methods of stratigraphy and petrography.^[20]

Awards and honors

Sumner was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2014.^[21] Also in 2014, she was selected to deliver the honorary Carl Sagan Lecture at the American Geophysical Union.^[22] In 2016, Sumner was awarded the Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in Geosciences, Geobiology and Microbiology from the Geological Society of America.^[23] Sumner also received the distinguished career award from the University of California, Davis 2016: for extensive research in microbiology, geochemistry, and research in the exploration of mars over her career.^[24] More recently, Sumner's was one of 14 selected to become a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences for her contributions to the study of microbial sciences.^[25]

Equality and sexual harassment in science

Sumner is the author of a widely used anti-harassment statement that she made public so that other universities and institutes could use it as a model.^[26] A leader in helping institutions develop anti-harassment plans, Sumner presented to a workshop at the 2016 American Geophysical Union on “Addressing harassment and improving workplace climate.”^[27] She was also an invited presenter for Association of Polar Early Career Scientists webinar on sexual harassment during fieldwork.^[28] Sumner is presently chair of advisory board for The Feminist Research Institute at the UC, Davis^[29] In June 2020 she became the leader of the Anti-Racism Action Committee in her department (Earth and Planetary Science) at UC Davis. Sumner also wrote four letters concerning racism and its effects on the science community between late May and early June 2020^[30]

Selected publications

!Title of Article!Author(s)/ Publication year!Topic(s)!Source

Were kinetics of Archean calcium carbonate precipitation related to oxygen concentration?	Dawn Y. and John P. Grotzinger, 1996.	Geology	Geology, v. 24, p. 119-122. DOI: 10.1130/0091-7613
Late Archean calcite-microbe interactions: Two morphologically distinct microbial communities that affected calcite nucleation differently	Dawn Y. Sumner, 1997.	Microbiology	Palaios, v. 12, p. 300-316. DOI: 10.2307/3515333
Late Archean Aragonite Precipitation: Petrography, Facies Associations, and Environmental Significance	Dawn Y. Sumner & John P. Grotzinger, 2000.	Geology	Late Archean aragonite precipitation: Petrography, facies associations, and environmental significance
Renalcids as fossilized biofilm clusters.	Dawn Y. Sumner & Nat P.Stephens, 2002.	Microbiology, Geology, Paleontology	Palaios, v. 17, p. 225-236. DOI:10.1669/0883-1351(2002)017<0225:RAFBC>2.0.CO;2
Poor preservational potential of organics in Meridiani Planum hematite-bearing sedimentary rocks	Dawn Y. Sumner, 2004.	Geology, Mars	Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets, v. 109, E12007. DOI:10.1029/2004JE002321
Cracks and fins in sulfate sand: Evidence for recent mineral-atmospheric water cycling in Meridiani Planum outcrops?	Gregory V. Chavdarian & Dawn Y. Sumner, 2006.	Geology, Mars	Geology, v. 34, p. 229-232. DOI: 10.1130/G22101.1
Isotopic fingerprints of microbial respiration in aragonite from Bahamian stromatolites.	Miriam S. Andres, R. Pamela Reid, Dawn Y. Sumner, & Peter Swart.	Microbiology	Geology, v. 34, p. 973-976. DOI 10.1130/G22859A.1
Undirected motility of filamentous cyanobacteria produces reticulate mats.	R N Shepard & Dawn Y. Sumner	Microbiology, Geology	Geobiology, v. 8, p. 179-190. DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2010.00235.x
Discovery of large conical stromatolites in Lake Untersee, Antarctica	Andersen, Dale T., Sumner, Dawn Y., et al., 2011	Microbiology	Geobiology, v.9. 280–293. DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2011.00279.x.
Origins of Microbial Microstructures In the Neoproterozoic Beck Spring Dolomite: Variations In Microbial Community and Timing of Lithification	Harwood, Cara L., and Sumner, Dawn Y., 2012	Geology, Microbiology	Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 82, p. 709-722, DOI: 10.2110/jsr.2012.65
Antarctic microbial mats: A modern analog for Archean lacustrine oxygen oases	Sumner, Dawn Y., Hawes, Ian, et al., 2015	Geochemistry, Geology	Geology, v. 43, p. 887-890. DOI: 10.1130/G36966.1
Growth of elaborate microbial pinnacles in Lake Vanda, Antarctica. Geobiology	Sumner, Dawn Y., Anne D. Jungblut, et al., 2016	Microbiology Geobiology, v. 14, p. 556-574.
A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars. Science	Grotzinger, J.P., D.Y. Sumner, et al., 2014 (online 2013)	Environmental ScienceScience, v. 343, 1242777.

• • DAWN Y. SUMNER; Biology and Geology: A Necessary Symbiosis. PALAIOS 2002; 17 (4): 307–308.

Outreach

Sumner has presented lectures to public and school groups, and she has participated in videos and films on exploring Mars. These have included presentations at Sierra College,^[31] a Northern California Rotary Club,^[32] and Sacramento State University's Science in the River City.^[33] She appeared in several videos on Mars exploration, including ones hosted by UC Davis and in the Finnish documentary film “The Other Side of Mars”.^[34]

Dawn Sumner's research has been covered in local and national media outlets, including Popular Science,^[35] Wired Magazine,^[36] KPCC public radio,^[37] the television series Take Part,^[38] and the BBC.^[39]

See also

• Extremophiles
• Astrobiology
• Paleobiology
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• John Grotzinger
• Lake Untersee
• Lake Vanda
• Gale Crater
• Geology
  • Curiosity Rover Microbiology

External links

• Sumner video interview on Curiosity rover
• Sumner profile at UC Davis
• Sumner Antarctic blog

Notes and References

1. Web site: Department of Geology, UC Davis. October 12, 2018.
2. Web site: UC Davis Earth and Planetary Science department; Chair's letter by Dawn Sumner. October 12, 2018.
3. Web site: GSA Fellow. October 12, 2018.
4. Web site: Mars needs this woman. Leibrock. Rachel. 6 April 2015. newsreview.com. October 12, 2018.
5. News: California Institute of Technology: The O.K. Earl Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Texaco Postdoctoral Fellowship - GradFund. GradFund. 2018-10-03. en-US.
6. Sumner. Dawn Y.. Grotzinger. John P.. 1996. Were kinetics of Archean calcium carbonate precipitation related to oxygen concentration?. Geology. en. 24. 2. 119–22. 10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0119:WKOACC>2.3.CO;2. 11539494. 0091-7613.
7. Sumner. Dawn Y.. 1997-05-01. Carbonate precipitation and oxygen stratification in late Archean seawater as deduced from facies and stratigraphy of the Gamohaan and Frisco formations, Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa. American Journal of Science. en. 297. 5. 455–487. 10.2475/ajs.297.5.455. 0002-9599. free.
8. Sumner. Dawn Y.. March 2001. Microbial Influences on Local Carbon Isotopic Ratios and Their Preservation in Carbonate. Astrobiology. 1. 1. 57–70. 10.1089/153110701750137431. 12448995. 1531-1074.
9. Sumner. D. Y.. Jungblut. A. D.. Hawes. I.. Andersen. D. T.. Mackey. T. J.. Wall. K.. 2016-07-29. Growth of elaborate microbial pinnacles in Lake Vanda, Antarctica. Geobiology. en. 14. 6. 556–574. 10.1111/gbi.12188. 27474373. 11742826 . 1472-4677.
10. Mackey. T. J.. Sumner. D. Y.. Hawes. I.. Leidman. S. Z.. Andersen. D. T.. Jungblut. A. D.. 2017-11-24. Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Biogeochemistry. en. 137. 1–2. 73–92. 10.1007/s10533-017-0402-1. 0168-2563. 1721.1/115135. 133907598. free.
11. Science-2013-Grotzinger.pdf (iu.edu)
12. Grotzinger. J. P.. Sumner. D. Y.. Kah. L. C.. Stack. K.. Gupta. S.. Edgar. L.. Rubin. D.. Lewis. K.. Schieber. J.. 2013-12-09. A Habitable Fluvio-Lacustrine Environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars. Science. 343. 6169. en. 1242777. 10.1126/science.1242777. 0036-8075. 24324272. 10.1.1.455.3973. 52836398.
13. Eigenbrode. Jennifer L.. Summons. Roger E.. Steele. Andrew. Freissinet. Caroline. Millan. Maëva. Navarro-González. Rafael. Sutter. Brad. McAdam. Amy C.. Franz. Heather B.. Glavin. Daniel P.. Archer Jr.. Paul D.. Mahaffy. Paul R.. Conrad. Pamela G.. Hurowitz. Joel A.. Grotzinger. John P.. Gupta. Sanjeev. Ming. Doug W.. Sumner. Dawn Y.. Szopa. Cyril. Malespin. Charles. Buch. Arnaud. Coll. Patrice. 2018-06-08. Organic matter preserved in 3-billion-year-old mudstones at Gale crater, Mars. Science. en. 360. 6393. 1096–1101. 10.1126/science.aas9185. 0036-8075. 29880683. 46983230. free.
14. Web site: Franco. Jose. 2018-06-22. Dawn Sumner. 2021-02-11. Microbiome Special Research Program. en.
15. News: UC Davis scientist prepares for Mars rover landing. 2012-08-04. Davis Enterprise. 2018-10-09. en-US.
16. Web site: 2013-02-28. Curious About Life: Interview with Dawn Sumner. 2020-10-02. Astrobiology Magazine. en-US.
17. Web site: Planning the Mars Rover Landing. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201104031431/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTrEioaCJl0&list=TLuxhNNsFetrY . 2020-11-04 . YouTube.
18. NASA plans mars sample-return rover. Nature. 509. 7500. 272. Witze. Alexandra. May 5, 2014. 10.1038/509272a. 24828172. free.
19. Sumner. Dawn Y.. Grotzinger. John P.. 2004. Implications for Neoarchaean ocean chemistry from primary carbonate mineralogy of the Campbellrand-Malmani Platform, South Africa. Sedimentology. en. 51. 6. 1273–1299. 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2004.00670.x. 56028342 . 1365-3091.
20. Sumner. Dawn Y.. Grotzinger. J. P.. 2004-12-01. Implications for Neoarchaean ocean chemistry from primary carbonate mineralogy of the Campbellrand-Malmani Platform, South Africa. Sedimentology. en. 51. 6. 1273–1299. 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2004.00670.x. 56028342 . 0037-0746.
21. Web site: Dawn Sumner GSA Fellow. October 12, 2018.
22. Web site: AGU Honors; Carl Sagan Lecture; Past Recipients; Dawn Sumner. October 12, 2018.
23. Web site: GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology: 2016 Division Awards for outstanding research. Martindale. Rowan. 2016-09-19. GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology. 2018-10-04.
24. Web site: Rowanmartindale. 2016-09-19. GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology: 2016 Division Awards for outstanding research. 2020-10-02. GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology.
25. Web site: 2020-11-09. LAURELS: Montañez, Sumner Are New Fellows of California Academy of Sciences. 2021-02-08. UC Davis. EN.
26. Web site: Sumner white paper on anti-harassment. October 12, 2018.
27. Web site: Sumner presentation at AGU to department head and chairs on harassment. October 12, 2018.
28. Web site: Sumner presentation to polar scientists on harassment during fieldwork. October 12, 2018.
29. Web site: Highlighting Women in Geobiology: Dr. Dawn Sumner PhD '95 MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. 2020-10-02. eapsweb.mit.edu.
30. Web site: Equity – Dawn Y. Sumner. 2020-10-02. en-US.
31. News: NASA scientist to discuss Mars at Rocklin event. Rocklin's Placer Herald. 2018-10-08. en.
32. News: Your Weekly Get Up & Go has been Updated!. Davis Sunrise Rotary Club. 2018-10-09.
33. Web site: Science in River City. . November 14, 2017. October 12, 2018.
34. Web site: The Other Side of Mars Finnish Film Catalogue 2018. catalogue.ses.fi. en. 2018-10-09.
35. Web site: Is there life on Mars? TBD. But scientists found ancient organic matter in the Red Planet's rocks.. Griggs. Mary Beth. June 7, 2018. October 12, 2018.
36. Antarctic Lake Hides Bizarre Ecosystem. Witze. Alexandra. April 14, 2011. WIRED. 2018-10-04. en-US.
37. News: Shutdown puts scientists' Antarctica research on ice. Radio. Southern California Public. 2013-10-10. Southern California Public Radio. 2018-10-04.
38. News: 'Girls With Toys' Hashtag Challenges Idea That Science Is a Playground for Guys. TakePart. 2018-10-04. en.
39. Web site: Mars rover's powerful lab kit. August 3, 2012. BBC News. en. 2018-10-04.