Meet Ellie Moreland, a Ph.D. candidate at Rice University whose graduate journey spans from Houston to the surface of Mars.

As part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Ellie helps guide the Perseverance rover and developed the MIST algorithm to identify minerals on Earth and Mars. At Rice, she collaborates with Dr. Kirsten Siebach, reconstructing ancient Martian lakes and climates to better understand the Red Planet’s history of water.

Ellie is also the recipient of the 2025 Texas Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowship, which supports her international collaborations with Mars scientists across Europe. Beyond research, she volunteers with the Houston Dynamo FC Unified Team, building inclusion through soccer.

👉 Follow Ellie’s story of science, mentorship, and community impact at Rice University.
graduate.rice.edu/news/current-news/rice-phd-stude…

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