Eleanor Moreland
Hi, I’m Ellie!
I am currently a graduate student at Rice University in the Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences department ultimately pursing a Doctor of Philosophy. I am working with Professor Kirsten Siebach to investigate mineralogy on planetary surfaces. Currently, I am developing the MIST (Mineral Identification by SToichiometry) algorithm (mist.rice.edu) to improve mineral identification from geochemical datasets. Future work will optimize this model for application to XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) data from the PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) instrument onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.
I discovered my interest in planetary science and geology during my undergraduate career at Washington University in St. Louis. I graduated from WashU in 2021 cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Geology. While I was a student-athlete on the Varsity Women’s Soccer team for four years I also participated in Earth and Planetary Sciences research under the advisement of Professor Raymond Arvidson in the Remote Sending Laboratory. During my senior year, I earned highest distinction in Earth and Planetary Sciences for my undergraduate honors thesis focused on the mineralogy of sand deposits on Mars.
I love participating in science, staying active, photographing my adventures, and sharing my passions with others!
Eleanor Moreland 