Karen Meech is an astronomer at the University of Hawaii's Institute for
Astronomy.  Her scientific interests include several areas of cometary
science: evolution and aging processes in comets, comet physical
characteristics, observations of distant comets and investigation of
their activity, ice physics, Kuiper belt comets, main belt comets and
astrobiology, specifically in the area of the origin of Earth's water.
Meech is the PI of the University of Hawaii lead team of the NASA
Astrobiology Institute.  In addition she was a Co-Investigator on the
NASA Deep Impact mission, in charge of coordinating all of the
Earth-based observations.  She plays a similar role as Co-I on both the
StardustNExT and EPOXI comet missions.  She is also extremely active in
outreach, developing and leading teacher and student workshops.