Alessandra Ricca is a computational chemist whose research focuses primarily on theoretical chemistry. She researches modeling properties of organic compounds in the gas phase and ices, emphasizing the formation, reactivity, spectroscopy, and optical properties of the researched compounds. In Astrophysics and Analysis at NASA, Ricca studies PAH infrared spectroscopy and nanograins in the interstellar medium. In NASA Solar System Workings, Ricca studies ammonia hydrates on Charon and other icy bodies. In addition to her work at NASA, Ricca is a Senior Research Chemist at the SETI Institute. 
She won the 1997 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology and 2008 NASA Honor Award.