Dr. Ali M. Bramson, Principal Investigator/Assistant Professor

Ali uses remote sensing observations, such as those acquired with radar and imaging systems onboard spacecraft, to understand the geomorphological and geophysical characteristics of planets. She often combines observational analyses with theoretical modeling, as well as occasional field work at terrestrial analog sites and experimental studies. She works with spacecraft operations to target sites for new data acquisition. She is also involved in projects to plan for the future of human exploration and robotic spacecraft missions across the Solar System.

Santa Lucía Pérez Cortés, Graduate Student

Santa Lucía Pérez Cortés received her BS in Geology from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus in June 2022. During her undergraduate studies, she worked on research related to eolian geomorphology on Mars. Currently, Santa is focused on studying features related to mass wasting, impact ejecta, and tectonics on planetary bodies across the Solar System. She enjoys hiking, reading, and warm weather.

Sam Harris, Graduate Student

Sam Harris earned his B.S. in Geosciences in 2024 from Florida Atlantic University where he worked on projects using radar to characterize biogenic gas production within peatlands. At Purdue, Sam is interested in using radar and modeling radar data to better understand subsurface features on the Earth, Moon, and Mars. Outside of research, he enjoys playing jazz (brass and guitar) and playing basketball.

Sam's Website

Christina Sowinski, Undergraduate Researcher

Christina is a Purdue undergraduate student from Union City, Indiana double majoring in Planetary Science and Geology & Geophysics. She is studying erosional landforms and surface textures in the Medusae Fossae Formation on Mars to provide insight into this enigmatic region's composition and origin. Christina was named a 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholar, the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. In her free time, Christina enjoys hiking with her dog, backpacking, and playing frisbee.

Laura Sofia Pérez Mancipe, Undergraduate Researcher

Laura is an undergraduate student at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, pursuing a double major in Physics and Geosciences. She first joined the group as part of the Colombia Purdue Partnership and Purdue’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program and has stayed on for her senior thesis. She is researching the evolution of icy scarps in the Martian mid-latitudes, investigating how sublimation-driven processes shape scarp morphology and ridge formation. Her work specifically focuses on understanding the ages of the ridges present in Martian scarps and how their morphology varies between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Isabella Shockley, Undergraduate Researcher

Bella is a Planetary Sciences and Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering double major at Purdue. She is investigating surface and shallow subsurface properties in the South Pole–Aitken basin area of the Moon and along possible traverses for the Endurance mission. Bella started in the group as a summer intern with Endurance-P, a strategic partnership between Purdue and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and is continuing research on the topic into the academic year.

Kristel Izquierdo

Research topics: Applications of Bayesian approaches for planetary science, Mars polar science

Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow at JHU Applied Physics Laboratory

Kris' Website

Riley McGlasson

Research topics: Planetary radar systems, Mars polar science, Analog studies

Dissertation: Exploring Radar Observations of Dusty Ice Layers on Mars Through Observations, Modeling, and Lab Experiments

Currently: Postdoctoral Research Geologist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies

Riley's Website

Kris Laferriere

Research topics: Volatile driven surface processes, Mars polar science, lunar hydration and diurnal variability

Dissertation: Exploring Volatile Mass Balance Under a Variety of Conditions Through Observations and Modeling on the Moon and Mars

Currently: Postdoctoral Scholar at the Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida

Kris' Website