Racine D. Cleveland, Ph.D.

Planetary Science Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Racine D. Cleveland is a planetary scientist specializing in remote sensing, atmospheric observations, geospatial analysis, and scientific computing. Her research examines surface–atmosphere interactions on Mars, Titan, and Earth, drawing on orbital and rover datasets, numerical analysis, and terrestrial field campaigns. She brings experience in interdisciplinary research, field campaign coordination, scientific instrumentation, university teaching, undergraduate mentorship, and public science communication. Her professional interests span scientific discovery, academic research, space exploration and industry, mission and science operations, education, and research and development.

Professional Interests

Areas of Expertise

Technical Proficiencies

Professional Appointments

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 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.
Teaching Assistant — University of Arkansas
  • Assisted instruction and laboratory activities for undergraduate courses in Physical Geology, Spatial Analysis, Geodatabases, Geospatial Applications, and Earth Science.
Primary Lecturer — Physical Geology, University of Arkansas Fall 2024
  • Served as primary lecturer for a Physical Geology course enrolling approximately 212 students.
  • Developed visual lectures, concept-recall questions, collaborative exercises, and guided classroom discussions.
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.
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.

Research Experience

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, fitting more than 3,800 vortex encounters across a detection record spanning over 1400 Martian sols.
  • Integrate rover observations with terrestrial analog field studies to improve understanding of dust devil formation and atmospheric dynamics on Earth and Mars.
  • Retrieve, quality-control, and combine pressure, radiative, aerosol, and imaging observations from complementary instruments and observing conditions.
University of Arkansas — Graduate Research Assistant NASA MDAP #80NSSC21K1089
  • Mapped 101 Martian south polar sublimation features across four study sites, with less than 1% difference from manual mapping in the validation area.
  • 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.
  • Analyzed Cassini and Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar observations using electromagnetic scattering models to assess surface and subsurface contributions to radar backscatter.
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.

Research Field Campaigns

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.
  • Organized field logistics, instrument calibration, student practice sessions, and installation of meteorological stations, aerosol sensors, and time-lapse imaging systems across an approximately 100-meter instrument array.
  • Built and integrated Arduino-based dust sensors 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.
Research Team Member — NSF CLOUD-MAP / LAPSE-RATE, San Luis Valley, Colorado2018
  • Collected atmospheric observations using unmanned aircraft systems during a multi-institution boundary-layer field campaign.
  • Supported flight operations and analyzed temperature, humidity, land-cover, and terrain observations to investigate land–atmosphere interactions.

Education

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

Peer-Reviewed Publications

ORCID iD icon ORCID: 0009-0003-9716-8968

Cleveland, Racine D., Vincent F. Chevrier, and Jason A. Tullis. 2025. “Framework for Mapping Sublimation Features on Mars’ South Polar Cap Using Object-Based Image Analysis.” Remote Sensing 17(14): 2372.

Science Communication & Public Outreach

Invited Public Lectures

Media Interviews

Observatory & Community Astronomy Programs

K–12 STEM Outreach

Media Features

Leadership & Professional Service

Proposal Review Panels

Journal Peer Review

Conference Service

University Service

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.

Leadership

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.

Professional Presentations