Welcome!

I am a geologist, artist, and avid traveler with a passion for exploring, protecting, and restoring the natural world. My geologic interests are far-reaching and ever-growing, but my specialties are igneous petrology and geochemistry (I have also dabbled in metamorphic petrology). Most of my research has examined how we can use lower crustal xenoliths—deeply sourced rock fragments brought to the surface by ascending magmas—to understand continental crust formation. My art has used a variety of media to explore LA culture, celebrate nature, and document my travels. Don’t hesitate to reach out with scientific or artistic questions!

Education

I received a BS in Geology and Environmental Geosciences from Lafayette College in 2017 and a PhD in Geology from Caltech in 2024.

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Research

For my PhD at Caltech, I conducted an interdisciplinary study comparing deeply sourced rocks from the Aleutian Islands and Colombian Andes brought to the surface by volcanoes. My research employed an array of geochemical techniques, including Fe isotope geochemistry, major and trace element concentration, and petrography. Combining laboratory experiments with modeling, I used my samples to further our understanding of how the low continental crust forms.

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Art

Despite pursuing a career in science, art continues to play an important role in my life. I joined Caltech’s Graduate Student Council Arts Committee in 2017, a student group tasked with supporting the arts on campus by installing community art galleries in public spaces, and served as committee chair from 2019 to 2022. As the scientific process is, at heart, an exercise in creativity, I believe all scientists can benefit from exposure to the arts and have consistently worked to increase campus access to creative outlets.

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