Roles
Research Scientist
Biography
Dr. Greer is a scientist studying the near-space environment and its connections with the Earth and lower atmosphere.
Dr. Greer studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences where she earned her BS (2007) and MS (2009). She completed her PhD research & dissertation in December 2013. She did a post-doc at the University of California-Berkeley’s Space Science Laboratory.
Her dissertation work concerned the geophysical fluid dynamics of wintertime polar regions, which is heavily impacted by waves propagating up from the lower atmosphere and incoming space weather. To investigate specific phenomena, she employed various satellite remote sensing instruments, ground-based lidar measurements, assimilated data sets, and whole atmosphere models. This research has taken her to Greenland on several occasions to conduct field research.
Dr. Greer's current research mostly concerns the thermosphere and ionosphere. She conducts original research using the GOLD mission's thermospheric composition measurements, TEC ionospheric measurements examining connections to thermospheric composition, neutral atmospheric measurements using solar/stellar occultations, (GOLD and OWLS), and is the deputy-PI of a 2 instrument suite that will investigate the impact of atmospheric gravity waves in the thermosphere.
Dr. Greer is ardent promoter of science literacy. She has helped conduct science workshops for grade-school children such as Girl Scouts and run science tournaments for high school students. In terms of science policy, she has particular interest in the need for a national policy for Earth observing, funding for research and development(R&D), and the mitigation of space weather threats.
Dr. Greer is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a representative on the CEDAR Science Steering Committee and a panelist on the 2023 Heliophysics Decadal Survey, Ionospheres-Thermospheres-Mesospheres.
She enjoys backpacking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Additional Information
Education
Specialties
Missions
Honors & Awards
Organizations & Associations
Publications
Professional Links
University of Colorado,
B.S.,
2007
University of Colorado,
M.S.,
2009
University of Colorado,
Ph.D.,
2013
Atmospheric Scientist, Ionosphere Physicist, Remote Sensing Scientist, Scientist, Space Physicist
Personal Research Website
Dr. Greer research website