PATRICIO BECERRA, PH.D.
  • Home
  • Research
    • The Martian Polar Climate Record
    • Electrical Properties of Planetary Simulants and Ices Laboratory (EPPSIL)
    • Martian South Residual Ice Cap
  • Planetary Missions
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Publications
  • Extracurricular

Curriculum Vitae

Long-format academic CV

Education

2024 (expected) CAS Applied Data Science
Universität Bern
2016    Ph.D. Planetary Sciences - Minor in Geosciences (vv. 2016/07/05)
The University of Arizona
Dissertation: “The Poles of Mars, Past and Present: A high-resolution observational study of the Martian Polar Regions and their connection to climate”
2015    M.S. Planetary Sciences
The University of Arizona
2013    Graduate Certificate in Engineering Management
The University of Arizona
2007    B.S. Physics
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Work Experience

Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern
January 2024 – Present
Project Manager for the Comet Camera (CoCa) on ESA's Comet Interceptor mission

Microcameras and Space Exploration (MCSE) SA
October 2021 – Present

Project Scientist
January 2021 - September 2021 
Project Manager (50%) 
​

Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern
February 2017 – September 2021
Postdoctoral Researcher in Space Research and Planetary Sciences (50% between Jan '21 and Sep '21)

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, The University of Arizona
August 2016 – January 2017
Research Specialist

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, The University of Arizona
August 2009 – August 2016
Graduate Research Assistant (2009 – 2011), Graduate Research Associate (2011 – 2016), NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow (2013 – 2016)

​National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development (CONIDA) – Peruvian Space Agency
March 2007 – May 2009
Research Assistant: Astronomy Department 

Planetary Mission Involvement

ESA JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) Monitoring Camera (JMC)
February 2021 – Present
Project Manager: MCSE RadCam colour calibration target for JMC

NASA Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Visible Imaging System (VIS)
MCSE Project Scientist

2019 NASA Discovery Mission Proposal: Climate Orbiter for Mars Polar Atmospheric and Subsurface Science (COMPASS)
September 2018 – Present
Co-Investigator: COMPASS Radar Observer for Mars Exploration (CROME) L-band SAR and Subsurface radar sounder      

Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) on ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
February 2017 – Present
Science Theme Deputy Lead: Ice and Periglacial Processes
Operations Team Member


High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE)
July 2016 – Present
Science Theme Lead: Climate Change

​NASA Planetary Science Summer School 
August 2014
Session III. Mission: Argus - Io Observer
Risk and Programmatics Chair
Principal Investigator for the Io GLobal Optical Observer (IGLOO) instrument​

Teaching Experience

Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Fall 2017, 2018, 2019
Teaching Assistant in Laborkurs Moderne Physik II 
Spring 2018
Teaching Assistant in Physik Praktikum Studierende Biologie 

​Department of Planetary Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
Fall 2015

Guest Lecturer PTYS 554: Evolution of Planetary Surfaces (Graduate level course)
Fall 2012
Teaching Assistant PTYS 214: “Astrobiology: A Planetary Perspective” 
​Spring 2012 
Teaching Assistant and Guest Lecturer PTYS 170B1: “The Universe and Humanity”
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Graduate Teaching Excellence Award

First Author Peer-Reviewed Publications

Becerra, P., I.B. Smith, C. Andres, A.M. Bramson, P. Buhler, A. Coronato, S. Diniega, J.A. Emmett, A. Grau Galofre, C. Herny, S. Hibbard, M.A. Kahre, J.P. Knightly, S. Nerozzi, G. Portyankina, J. Rabassa, L. Tamppari, T. Titus, J.L. Whitten, Z. Yoldi (2021), Past, Present and Future of Mars Polar Science: Outcomes and Outlook from the 7th International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, The Planetary Science Journal, 2:209, https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ac19a5
Becerra, P., I.B. Smith, A. Coronato, J. Rabassa (2020). Mars Polar Science visits the End of the World. Nature Astronomy Meeting Report. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1127-y
Becerra, P., Sori, M.M., Thomas, N., Pommerol, A., Tulyakov, S., Sutton, S.S., Simioni, E., Cremonese, G., (2019). Timescales of the climate record in the south polar ice cap of Mars, Geophys. Res. Lett. 46, (12) doi:10.1029/2019GL083588
Becerra, P., M. M. Sori, and S. Byrne (2017). Signals of astronomical climate forcing in the exposure topography of the North Polar Layered Deposits of Mars, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44 (1), 62–70, doi:10.1002/2016GL071197 (*AGU EOS Research Spotlight).
Becerra, P., S. Byrne, M. M. Sori, S. Sutton, and K. E. Herkenhoff (2016). Stratigraphy of the north polar layered deposits of Mars from high-resolution topography, J. Geophys. Res. Planets, 121, 1445–1471, doi:10.1002/2015JE004992.
Becerra, P., Byrne, S., Brown A. J. (2015). Transient Bright “halos” on the South Polar Residual Cap of Mars: Implications for mass balance. Icarus 251: 211-225. doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2014.04.050.

Latest First Author Conference Abstracts

Becerra, P., Mateu, I., Halser, L., Pommerol, A., Bullock, L., Kinch, K.M., Madsen, M.B., Kraehenbuehl, D., Beauvivre, S. (2022). Effects of Ionising Radiation on Ceramic Colour Standards: Implications for Space and Planetary Imaging. Joint Conference on Materials in the Space Environment (ISMSE15/ICMPSE13).
Becerra P.,
*L. Affolter, A. Pommerol, C. Feller, A. Lethuillier, T. Plüss, L. Neves, N. Thomas (2021). Measurements of the electrical properties of new planetary soil simulants. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference LII. Poster. Abs. 2422
Becerra P., C. Herny, A. Valantinas, S. Byrne, N. Thomas, S. Conway (2020). Avalanches of the Martian North polar cap. Europlanet Science Congress 2020. Poster. EPSC2020-1093.
Becerra, P., Conway, S., N. Thomas. (2020). Avalanches of the Martian North polar cap. EGU General Assembly 2020. Poster. EGU2020-22331.
Becerra, P., D. Nunes, I. Smith, M.M. Sori, Y. Brouet, N. Thomas. (2020). Two views of the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits: Toward a correlation of radar and visible stratigraphic records. 7th International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration. Talk. Abs. 6055.
Becerra, P., D. Nunes, I. Smith, M.M. Sori, Y. Brouet, N. Thomas. (2019). Correlating Radar and Visible Stratigraphic Records in the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits. Poster. EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019-1705
Becerra, P., N. Thomas, A. Pommerol, M. Almeida, C. Cesar, E. Simioni, S. Tulyakov, G. Cremonese, and The CaSSIS Team. (2019). CaSSIS Observations of Polar and Circumpolar Layered Deposits on the Martian Southern Hemisphere. Poster. EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019-707
Becerra, P., M. M. Sori, N. Thomas, A. Pommerol, S. S. Sutton, S. Tulyakov, E. Simioni, G. Cremonese. (2019). Timescales of the Climate Record in the Martian South Polar Layered Deposits. Ninth International Conference on Mars. Talk. Abs. 6273
Becerra, P., M. M. Sori, N. Thomas, S. Tulyakov, S. S. Sutton, A. Pommerol, G. Cremonese, The HiRISE Team, The CaSSIS Team. (2019). Climate Record Signals in the South Polar Cap of Mars from HiRISE and CaSSIS Stereo Imaging. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference L. Abs. 1283. Talk

Press Coverage

2019 "Peeling back the Layers of the Climate of Mars", A. Dombard, Editors' Highlights, EOS.
2017 “How Mars Got Its Layered North Polar Cap”, E. Underwood, AGU Research Spotlight, EOS, 98.
2016 Interview. M. Delta, Radio Capital.
2015 Interview. D. Grimaldo, Punto edu (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú). 

Languages

  • Spanish/English balanced bilingual
  • Italian: Upper-Intermediate (B2/C1)
  • German: Pre-intermediate (A2/B1)
  • French: Beginner (A1)

For more details see latest PDF version of CV at the top of this page. References available on request. 

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  • Home
  • Research
    • The Martian Polar Climate Record
    • Electrical Properties of Planetary Simulants and Ices Laboratory (EPPSIL)
    • Martian South Residual Ice Cap
  • Planetary Missions
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Publications
  • Extracurricular