Dr. Margaret Race, an ecologist at SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA. was the lead organizer of a recent NASA workshop on Astrobiology Societal Issues. Dr. Race is interested in environmental and policy implications of large-scale science and technology projects, particularly those associated with space exploration.  Her current work with NASA and the space science community involves developing and refining information on planetary protection policies and regulations for missions in the solar system.  Over the past decade, she served on numerous National Research Council (NRC) studies of forward and back contamination associated with missions to Mars and other celestial bodies.  In addition, she was an organizer and editor of a series of international workshops on the planetary protection implications of both Mars sample return missions and human missions to Mars.  In addition to her research and analytical work, Dr. Race is actively involved in science education and public outreach about astrobiology through the mass media, schools, museums, and presentations for general audiences.