Katelynn Greer
Monument, Colorado
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering Sciences, December 2013
University of Colorado at Boulder
Dissertation “Wave Driven Disturbances of the Thermal Structure in the
Polar Winter Upper Stratosphere and Lower Mesosphere”
EMP Engineering Management Certificate, May 2013
Engineering Management Program, University of Colorado at Boulder
M.S. Aerospace Engineering Sciences, May 2009
University of Colorado at Boulder
Thesis “Baroclinic Conditions and Anomalous Temperature Excursions
in the Arctic Winter Middle Atmosphere”
B.S. Aerospace Engineering Sciences, May 2007
University of Colorado at Boulder
Sr Design Proj. “SWIFT: Supersonic Wind Imaging Flow Tunnel” Electronics & Sensors Lead
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Research Associate II, Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics, University of Colorado
- Conduct original research concerning the coupling of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere, the impact of waves and tides and instabilities
- Support the GOLD mission science objectives with PI Richard Eastes (LASP)
- Develop, build, operate, and complete science objectives as deputy PI of the OWLS mission concerning gravity waves in the thermosphere with PI Ed Theimann (LASP)
- Co-I scientist of the DYNAGLO cubesat mission concerning gravity waves in the thermosphere with PI Aimee Merkle (LASP)
- Co-I of the GDC- Interdisciplinary Scientist program specializing in calibration, validation, and verification with PI Jeff Thayer (CU-Boulder)
March 2017 – Current
Assistant Research Physicist, Space Science Laboratory, University of California- Berkeley with Dr. Thomas Immel and Dr. Scott England
- Conducted original research in ionospheric and magnetospheric physics with an emphasis towards the role of ionosphere-magnetosphere interactions during periods of geomagnetic storms using numerical models and comparing these to ground- and space-based observations
- Wrote scripts to process data for the upcoming NASA ICON mission (launch expected June 2017)
- Drafted original research articles to submit to critical peer-reviewed journals
- Wrote research grants with other members of the Atmospheric Emissions group
- Presented and shared research in the field of aeronomy and the wider public
- Mentored young and developing students in the discipline of science and technology
June 2014 – February 2017
Research Associate, Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics, University of Colorado with Professor Cora E. Randall
- Collaborated on a two papers detailing the dynamics of polar winter middle atmospheric disturbances using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) output data and their relationships with minor/major Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs)
January 2014 – April 2014
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Colorado with Professor Jeffrey Thayer
- Organized and directed personal research in geophysical fluid dynamics with limited supervision
- Collaborated on a series of papers coupling of the lower and middle atmosphere using observational, assimilated and model data
- Wrote critical peer review of papers considered for publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research
- Operated and maintained SRI’s Kangerlussuaq Greenland remote sensing LIDAR system, producing 110 nights of observations Summer 2008
http://ccar.colorado.edu/rses/index.html
Supported by NSF-CEDAR Grant (AGS-0940174) 2010-2013 & CU Aerospace Grant 2007-2009
May 2007 – December 2013
Optical Remote Sensing Specialist, Vaisala Inc., Supervisor Charles Quire
- Critically evaluated potential lidar technologies and products by coding models in MatLAB
- Collaborated with outside contractor to assess technology readiness
- Determined that the price point of proposed lidar system was not suitable for current market
- Products and Technology (PTE) Division
June 2009 – December 2009
Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Colorado with Professor Jeffrey Thayer
- Designed and constructed a test-bed LIDAR system
- Developed LIDAR data inversion code in MatLAB
Supported by Undergraduate Research Experience Grant
June 2005- April 2007
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES
(19) Greer, K. R., L. Goncharenko, & V. L. Harvey (under construction, expected early 2023), Polar vortex strength impacts on the longitudinal structure of thermospheric O/N2 and ionospheric TEC, Journal of Geophysical Research – Space Physics.
(18) Zawdie, K., F. Sassi, M. Sivakandan, M. Burleigh, K. Greer, J. Klenzing, P. Inchin, V. L. Narayanan, S.-R. Zhang, D. Hickey, A. Belehaki, M. Dhadly, J. Smith, N. Zabotin, S. Kaeppler, M. Zettergren, M.-Y. Chou, and A. Halford (2022), Impacts of Neutral Atmospheric Waves on the Ionosphere, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences.
(17) Laskar, F., E. K Sutton, D. Lin, K. R. Greer, S. Aryal, X. Cai, N. Pedatella, R. W. Eastes,W. Wang, M. V. Codrescu, W. E. McClintock (under review, October 2022), Thermospheric Temperature and Density Variability During 3 to 4 February 2022 Minor Geomagnetic Storm, Space Weather, https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10511973.1.
(16) Greer, K. R., Laskar, F., Eastes, R., Lumpe, J., Liu, H.-L., & Pedatella, N. (2022). The Molecular Oxygen Density Structure of the Lower Thermosphere as Seen by GOLD and Models. Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2022GL098800. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098800
(15) Krier, C., S. England, K. Greer, J. Evans, A. Burns, R. Eastes (2021), Deducing non-migrating diurnal tides in the middle thermosphere with GOLD observations of the Earth’s far ultraviolet dayglow from geostationary orbit, Journal of Geophysical Research – Space Physics, 2021JA029563.
(14) Goncharenko, L. P., Harvey, V. L., Greer, K. R., Zhang, S.-R., Coster, A. J., & Paxton, L. J. (2021). Impact of September 2019 Antarctic sudden stratospheric warming on mid-latitude ionosphere and thermosphere over North America and Europe. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2021GL094517. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094517
(13) England, S., K.R. Greer, S.-R. Zhang, J. Evans, S. Solomon, R. Eastes, W. McClintock, and A. Burns (2021), First comparison of travelling atmospheric disturbances observed in the middle thermosphere by GOLD to travelling ionospheric disturbances seen in ground-based total electron content observations, Journal of Geophysical Research- Space Physics, 2021JA029248.
(12) Datta-Barua, S., N. Pedatella, K. Greer, N. Wang, L. Nutter, V. L. Harvey (2021), Lower Mesospheric material transport via Lagrangian coherent structures, Journal of Geophysical Research- Space Physics, doi:10.1029/2020JA028834.
(11) Greer, K. R., R. Eastes, S. Solomon, W. McClintock, D. Rusch, and A. Burns (2020), Variations of lower thermospheric FUV emissions based on GOLD observations and GLOW modeling, Journal of Geophysical Research- Space Sciences, 2020JA027810.
(10) Greer, K. R., R. Eastes, and W. McClintock (2020), Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD): Far-UV Imaging Spectrograph Background at Geostationary Orbit, 2020 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, USA, pp. 1-6, doi:10.1109/AERO47225.2020.9172274.
(9) Goncharenko, L., V. L. Harvey, K. R. Greer, S.-R. Zhang, and A. J Coster (2020), Longitudinally-Dependent Low-Latitude Ionospheric Disturbances Linked to the Antarctic Sudden Stratospheric Warming of September 2019, Journal of Geophysical Research- Space Physics, 10.1029/2020JA028199.
(8) Eastes, R. et al., Initial Observations by the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission (2020), Journal of Geophysical Research – Space Physics, 10.1029/2020JA027823
(7) England, S. L., Greer, K. R., Solomon, S. C., Eastes, R. W., McClintock, W. E., & Burns, A. G. (2020). Observation of thermospheric gravity waves in the Southern Hemisphere with GOLD. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 125, e2019JA027405. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JA027405
(6) Pilinski, M., S. Bougher, K. R. Greer, E. Thiemann, L. Andersson, M. Benna and M. Elrod (2018), First Evidence of Persistent Night-Time Temperature Structures in the Neutral Thermosphere of Mars, Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1002/2018GL078761.
(5) Greer, K. R., S. E. England, E. Becker, D. Rusch and R. Eastes (2018), Modeled Gravity Wave-like Perturbations in the Brightness of Far Ultraviolet Emissions for the GOLD Mission, Journal of Geophysical Research- Space Physics, doi:10.1002/2018JA025501.
(4) Greer, K. R., T. Immel, and A. Ridley (2017), On the variation in the ionospheric response to geomagnetic storms with time of onset, Journal of Geophysical Research- Space Physics, 122, doi:10.1002/2016JA023457.
(3) Greer, K. R., J. P. Thayer, V. L. Harvey, and E. D. Peck (2015), Modeling and mechanisms of polar winter upper stratosphere/lower mesosphere disturbances in WACCM, Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 120, doi:10.1002/2015JD023471.
(2) Greer, K. R., J. P. Thayer, and V. L. Harvey (2013), A climatology of polar winter stratopause warmings and associated planetary wave breaking, Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 118, 4168–4180, doi:10.1002/jgrd.50289.
(1) Thayer, J. P., K. Greer, and V. L. Harvey (2010), Front‐like behavior in the Arctic wintertime upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere, Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 115, D00N04, doi:10.1029/2010JD014278.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Remote sensing observations of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere
- Modeling of the atmosphere-geospace environment
- Interpretation of data techniques including climate statistics, 3-D localized E-P flux, and k-means clustering
- Coupling of the atmospheric regions and neutral atmosphere to ionosphere
- Geophysical fluid mechanics including waves and instabilities
- Using python computing language to advance geospace research
FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS
NASA Early Career Public Achievement Award, October 2020
PI Launchpad Workshop, 2019
Aerospace Engineering Department Graduate Community Service Award, 2013
CEDAR Student Poster Competition, Finalist 2010
CEDAR Student Poster Competition, Honorable Mention 2009
Women In Engineering and Lockheed Martin, Scholarship 2003-2005
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Various Guest Lectures, University of Colorado-Boulder, Aerospace Department
Elementary Algebra Instructor, San Quentin Prison University Project (Fall 2015 & Spring 2016)
ASPIRE Summer Undergraduate Intern Mentor: Lauren Polo (Summer 2015)
Introduction to Applied Statistics, teaching assistant (spring & fall 2010), Dr. Jeffrey Luftig
Ethics in Engineering & Business, teaching assistant (spring 2011), Dr. Jeffrey Luftig
Introduction to Propulsion, grading assistant (fall 2009)
Aerospace Environments Research Group Meetings (fall & spring 2012-2013)
Private Tutor, Calculus I, II, & III
Python Tutoring, Graduate level, Fall 2020
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Geophysical Union
American Meteorological Society
