Racine D. Cleveland, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow — Boise State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy March 2026–Present

• Lead interdisciplinary research investigating atmospheric processes and surface–atmosphere interactions across Earth and Mars.
• Develop scientific software and automated Python workflows for planetary environmental datasets and geospatial analyses.
• Design, coordinate, and execute terrestrial field campaigns, deploying meteorological instrumentation, environmental sensor networks, and aerosol monitoring systems.
• Mentor undergraduate researchers in scientific programming, environmental data analysis, research design, and technical writing.
• Prepare peer-reviewed publications, research proposals, conference presentations, and technical reports.
• Deliver public lectures and astronomy outreach programs while engaging diverse audiences through community science education.

GIS Technical Intern — Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative June 2021–August 2021

• Verified, edited, and managed geospatial data supporting asset inventory, system maintenance, and long-term infrastructure planning.
• Supported management of utility assets serving more than 27,000 electric meters across ten central Oklahoma counties.
• Assisted engineers and GIS analysts in maintaining an accurate digital model of the electric distribution network.

Teaching Assistant — University of Arkansas

• Assisted instruction and laboratory activities for undergraduate courses in Physical Geology, Spatial Analysis, Geodatabases, Geospatial Applications, and Earth Science.

GIS Curriculum Developer — University of Arkansas Summer 2020

• Developed instructional materials and laboratory exercises for undergraduate GIS courses.
• Courses included Spatial Analysis using ArcGIS, Introduction to Geodatabases, and Geospatial Applications.

Student Research Assistant — Unmanned Systems Research Institute (now OAIRE) October 2018–July 2019

• Conducted UAV and satellite image analysis supporting engineering and environmental research projects.
• Collected atmospheric measurements using unmanned aircraft systems under FAA Part 107 certification.

GIS Technician — Oklahoma State University Facilities Management May 2018–May 2019

• Migrated electrical, utility, water, and parking infrastructure data from AutoCAD into ArcGIS.
• Maintained geospatial datasets using ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and Collector for ArcGIS.

Boise State University — Postdoctoral Research Fellow NSF Award #2424470

• Investigate convective vortices (dust devils) using terrestrial field observations and Martian environmental datasets to characterize boundary-layer processes, atmospheric variability, and dust transport.
• Design and deploy meteorological sensor networks, aerosol instrumentation, and automated data-processing workflows to investigate vortex structure and evolution.
• Develop Python-based workflows to analyze atmospheric pressure observations from the Mars 2020 Perseverance MEDA instrument, identifying thousands of convective vortex encounters across more than 1,400 Martian sols.
• Integrate rover observations with terrestrial analog field studies to improve understanding of dust devil formation and atmospheric dynamics on Earth and Mars.

University of Arkansas — Graduate Research Assistant NASA MDAP #80NSSC21K1089

• Developed a semi-automated object-based image analysis workflow to process multi-temporal orbital remote sensing datasets, enabling reproducible detection and quantification of environmental change on Mars.
• Quantified long-term variability of the Martian South Polar Residual Cap by integrating orbital remote sensing, image analysis, and Python-based data processing, resulting in a peer-reviewed methodology published in Remote Sensing (2025).
• Processed and analyzed synthetic aperture radar observations from Titan and terrestrial analog dune fields, applying electromagnetic scattering models to investigate radar interactions with planetary surfaces and subsurfaces.
• Evaluated multiple electromagnetic scattering models to improve interpretation of planetary radar observations by integrating remote sensing measurements with numerical modeling.

Oklahoma State University — Student Researcher Geography Undergraduate Mentorship Program

• Investigated atmospheric variability during the NSF-funded CLOUD-MAP/LAPSE-RATE field campaign by integrating sUAS observations of temperature and humidity with land-cover and terrain analyses.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to collect, process, and analyze atmospheric datasets supporting unmanned aircraft systems research for meteorology and severe-weather applications.
• Presented findings at the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting.

Ph.D., Space and Planetary Science — University of Arkansas May 2026

Of Dunes and Ice: A Surface–Atmosphere Investigation of Mars CO₂ Sublimation Features and Titan Aeolian Fields

M.S., Geography — University of Arkansas May 2023

The Terroir of Swiss Cheese: A Temporal and Geomorphological Investigation of the Martian CO₂ Sublimation Pits

B.S., Geography — Oklahoma State University May 2019

Geographic Information Systems Certificate

Center for Space and Planetary Science Representative — Graduate and Professional Student Congress 2024–2025

• Represented the Center for Space and Planetary Science within the Graduate and Professional Student Congress.
• Contributed to event planning, budget discussions, and initiatives supporting the graduate student community.
• Served on the Events, Finance, and Facilities committees.

Treasurer — SPACEHOGS Astronomy Club 2022–2026

• Managed organizational budgets, financial records, and expenditures supporting equipment purchases, outreach events, and student programming.
• Assisted with planning astronomy outreach events and educational programming.

Member — SPACEHOGS Astronomy Club 2019–2026

• Delivered mobile planetarium presentations and interactive astronomy demonstrations for K–12 audiences.
• Used Stellarium to conduct virtual night-sky tours and teach celestial navigation, constellations, and planetary science concepts.

Principal Field Coordinator — Dust Devil Research Campaign, Alvord Desert, Oregon 2026

• Led the design and deployment of a distributed atmospheric observation network to investigate dust devil pressure signatures, dust loading, and boundary-layer processes.
• Coordinated installation and operation of meteorological stations, aerosol sensors, and time-lapse imaging systems across an approximately 100-meter instrument array.
• Collected and managed environmental datasets supporting Earth-analog studies for Martian atmospheric research.

NASA Dragonfly Science Team Field Campaign — Namib Sand Sea, Namibia 2025

• Participated in a NASA-sponsored campaign investigating the Namib Sand Sea as a terrestrial analog for Titan’s equatorial dune fields.
• Conducted field observations of dune morphology, sediment transport, and landscape-scale processes to improve interpretation of future Dragonfly observations.
• Collaborated with planetary scientists and engineers to evaluate surface characteristics, drone observation strategies, and ground-truth measurements supporting Dragonfly mission planning.