By day, Ellie Moreland studies the ancient lakes of Mars. By night, she laces up her cleats on a Houston soccer field, playing side by side with athletes of all abilities.
Moreland, a Ph.D. candidate in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University, is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, helping guide the Perseverance rover as it explores the surface of the Red Planet. She developed an algorithm called MIST (https://mist.rice.edu/) that identifies minerals on both Earth and Mars, advancing scientists’ ability to interpret rover data.
“I came to Rice because it gives me the chance to do hands-on planetary science, while also being a part of a supportive graduate community,” she said. “Being a graduate student here means I can ask big questions about other worlds while still making an impact in my own community.”
At Rice, Moreland collaborates with assistant professor Kirsten Siebach, a planetary geologist on the Perseverance PIXL science team, and works with climate scientist Sylvia Dee to model Mars’s past environments. In 2025, she earned a Texas Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowship to support international collaborations with Mars researchers in Europe.
But Moreland’s impact extends beyond the lab. Since moving to Houston, she has volunteered with the Houston Dynamo FC Unified Team, a partnership with MLS Works and Special Olympics, where athletes with and without intellectual disabilities play together.
“I had never heard of Unified teams until I was recruited after a co-ed game,” Moreland said. “Once they told me about it, I was convinced. I wanted to share my love of soccer with the community.”
For Moreland, the program has been as rewarding personally as it is socially. “I just smile and laugh the whole time,” she said. “For my mental health, it’s amazing. For my physical health, it keeps me in shape. And it connects me with Houston in a way that makes me feel part of the city while I’m in grad school.”
Her teammates say the feeling is mutual. “Ellie is my favorite friend,” said Julio Vargas, a Special Olympics athlete who plays on the team. “I like to play with her a lot. We talk, we have fun, and she’s a good player too.”
Valerie Holland, executive director of Dynamo and Dash Charities, called Moreland an inspiration. “When she first told me she was a grad student at Rice, I thought, how do you have time for this?” Holland said. “But she said these are the things that matter. She’s incredibly smart, genuinely passionate about her research, and then she comes out here and just shines. It’s inspiring to everyone.”
Moreland said that balance is exactly what keeps her grounded. “I can chase discoveries on Mars,” she said, “but I also want to give back here on Earth.”