Little is still known about the Red Planet, but faculty, students and alumni are conquering the great space unknown. We Earthlings have long been captivated by what occupies the unfathomable vastness of our universe, now with a diameter we can see of about 93 billion light years. In our own solar system of eight major planets, the mysteries of Mars are particularly fascinating, mainly because it is among our closest planetary neighbors — a mere 140 million or so miles.  The close proximity has prompted science fiction writers and filmmakers to ponder and depict Mars for decades, creating widespread...