NASA scientist with ties to the Big Island gave students an inside scoop on Mars rover mission Parker School alum Jesse Tarnas recently gave insight to current students at his alma mater about what NASA is looking for on Mars. (Source: Parker School Hawaii) By HNN Staff | April 2, 2021 at 10:26 PM HST - Updated April 2 at 10:26 PM HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - One of the scientists who helped land the Perseverance Rover on Mars spoke with current students at his high school alma mater on the Big Island about the mission. Dr. Jesse Tarnas, a Parker School alumnus, works at NASAâs Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a member of the science team for the Perseverance Mars rover mission. He earned his Ph.D. in planetary science from Brown University.