Dr. Gail Skofronick-Jackson (1963–2021) was a brilliant scientist and passionate advocate for women in STEM who left an indelible mark on the field of Earth observation. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, Gail's early life was instilled with a love for nature and a thirst for knowledge. This innate curiosity blossomed into a stellar academic career, leading her to pursue a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University and subsequently a M.S. and a Ph.D. in the same field from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Gail's expertise lay in the realm of passive remote sensing, radiative transfer theory, and active and passive spaceborne falling snow detection and estimation. Her research used advanced satellite instruments to study snowfall around the world through the lens of microwave remote sensing, an endeavor crucial for weather forecasting and water resource management.
It was at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that Gail's career truly took flight. From 1997 onwards, she wore many hats—researcher, lab chief, project scientist—each with unwavering dedication. She played a pivotal role in the NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which involves a cutting-edge spacecraft and a constellation of satellites to advance our understanding of rainfall and snowfall globally. Her contributions were recognized with the prestigious IEEE Fellowship for "contributions to microwave remote sensing of snow" in 2015.