Hannah Cleveland

Hannah Cleveland is an MS student with the GGE department at the University of Mississippi. She completed her B.S.G. in the department’s undergraduate Geology program, where she began working with Dr. Ron Counts on various geophysical-related projects beginning in 2021. As an Undergraduate Research Associate for the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute at UM she worked on Mississippi Embayment core description, sampling, and processing, performed drilling and remote sensing surveys throughout north east MS, and assisted in data processing to develop a comprehensive visual representation of the institute’s work throughout Mississippi. She has also served as a teaching assistant for several of the GGE department’s major and non-major laboratories since 2022.

Hannah’s current research explores the intersection of geology, public health, and policy, aiming to identify and address the potential link between well-withdrawal in lignite-bearing aquifers in Mississippi (and other coastal states like Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas) and increased rates of fatal kidney disease (ESRD). She is passionate about using science to uplift Southern communities and hopes to contribute to strengthening K-12 science education in the South. Beyond terrestrial geology, she also has a strong interest in astro-geology and the broader applications of geoscience in understanding planetary processes shaping other worlds.