SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 23 October 2025 — Earth Fire Alliance, the global nonprofit coalition committed to delivering transformative data and insights from all wildfires on Earth, today announced Michael J. Falkowski, Ph.D., will join EFA as the organization’s first Lead Scientist.  

Dr. Falkowski joins EFA from NASA Headquarters, where he served as Program Manager for the Wildland Fire Program and led the FireSense project, overseeing an annual budget of approximately $20 million. In that role, he set strategic priorities for NASA’s wildland fire portfolio, led multidisciplinary teams, and spearheaded national and interagency efforts to advance fire science, data, and technology innovation.

As EFA’s first Lead Scientist, Dr. Falkowski will join the Alliance's senior leadership team, providing strategic vision and oversight for research and scientific initiatives. He will guide the development of a robust Research-to-Operations framework as EFA expands programming from its flagship FireSat constellation to introduce new initiatives that drive long-term change and local action. Dr. Falkowski’s expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the unprecedented wildfire dataset generated by FireSat translates into a long-term, science-based record that addresses wildfire challenges on a global scale.

“I’m honored to join Earth Fire Alliance and contribute to its mission of transforming how the world understands and responds to wildfire,” said Dr. Falkowski. “This is a unique opportunity to unite international science, space-based technology, and real-world operations to build wildfire resilience at the scale this accelerating global challenge demands.”

At NASA, Dr. Falkowski facilitated the development of wildland fire science and technology to drive actionable outcomes for fire management and resilience. Before joining NASA, Dr. Falkowski built and grew an internationally recognized program in remote sensing and ecosystem science as a professor at Colorado State University, University of Minnesota, and Michigan Technological University. Having previously served as a wildland firefighter and state and tribal natural resource management specialist, the throughline between Dr. Falkowski’s academic and government work has been a focus on making sure science serves those in need of solutions on the ground.  

“Dr. Falkowski’s extraordinary blend of scientific rigor, operational experience, and leadership in building cross-sector coalitions will help EFA rapidly transition new technology and subsequent scientific discoveries into tools that improve global wildfire detection, monitoring, and resilience,” said EFA Executive Director Brian Collins. “He brings a deep understanding of how to translate research into real-world impact—an essential quality as we scale the FireSat program, expand global partnerships, and deploy new programs.”

The introduction of a Lead Scientist at EFA represents the Alliance’s commitment to both Earth observation and long-term action. By combining deep scientific expertise with operational insight, Dr. Falkowski will help ensure the FireSat dataset leads to tangible benefits for fire managers, communities, and ecosystems around the world.