Kristie LLera

Dissertation Title: Energetics of Near-Earth Particles: Energy Corrections in Observations and Measurement

Dissertation Advisor: Jerry Goldstein

Fellowships and Recognitions:

• MMS Early Career Grant Fellowship (2021)
• 32^nd NASA Annual Planetary Science Summer School (PSSS) (2019)
• NASA/Texas Space Grant Consortium Fellow (2012-2015)
• SwRI/UTSA Joint Space Physics Fellowship (2011-2017)

Graduation Date: Fall 2017

Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Southwest Research Institute

Current Position: Southwest Research Institute – Magnetosphere and Ionosphere R&D Group Leader

Research Areas:
Dr. LLera studies how the Sun’s solar wind interacts with small celestial bodies and their plasma environments. Her past work includes ion–neutral interactions near comet 67P (Rosetta mission) and loss mechanisms involving energetic neutral atom (ENA) dynamics near Earth (TWINS mission), including how ENA energy and intensity respond to space weather. Her current research focuses on magnetospheric boundaries using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, as well as instrument development for future space missions. She emphasizes innovative approaches that reduce schedule, cost, size, and/or mass, including recent efforts on compact instrument concepts and 3D-printed plasma detectors.