Ongoing Research
Quantifying Subglacial Groundwater Exfiltration in West Antarctica through the Last Deglaciation
Me presenting my preliminary groundwater research at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference in August 2024. [Photo credit: Dr. Ryan Venturelli.]
Past Research
Me at my Fulbright Orientation the beautiful city of Copenhagen! [Photo credit: Marian Azeem-Angel.]
Undergraduate Research at Vanderbilt University
For my senior project and honors thesis, “An Investigation of the Source of the Sirius Group Deposits in the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, as a Proxy for East Antarctic Ice Sheet Stability,” I conducted primarily self-directed research under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Morgan. This exploratory study involved developing provenance profiles based on grain size, geochemistry, and U/Pb zircon age data for three sites: Meyer Desert, Bennett Platform, and Tillite Spur—representing a subset of the approximately 43 iterations of the Sirius Group.
This research aligned with my broader undergraduate focus on understanding glacial flow and erosional patterns of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) over time, but it introduced a new dimension: correlating provenance signatures across a geographically extensive depositional range. The findings indicate that the flow and erosional patterns of outlet glaciers at each site remained largely unchanged during the deposition of the Sirius Group, supporting the hypothesis of long-term EAIS stability.
I presented these results at the 2021 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans and the 2022 Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Annual Meeting, where I shared my insights both in-person and virtually.
Fulbright Open Research/Study in Denmark and Greenland
After earning my bachelor’s degree, I wanted to continue broadening my horizons before commencing graduate studies, which led me to pursue a position as a Fulbright Research Scholar in both Denmark and Greenland. As the sole recipient of the 2022 award, I serve as a visiting scholar in the Biology Department and Arctic Research Center (ARC) at Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark. Under the mentorship of Dr. Søren Rysgaard, my research focused on understanding glacial and sea ice evolution in the Arctic. My subsequent projects utilized satellite imagery to analyze changes in the geometry of an ice-dammed lake that triggered a disruptive sediment plume into Scoresby Sound in August 2022.
As a Fulbright Scholar, I also spent five months in Spring 2023 conducting research at the University of Greenland in Nuuk, Greenland, in partnership with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR). Despite my role as a visiting scholar, I had the privilege of engaging with the university's curriculum, including courses such as Sea Ice Ecology and Arctic Marine Ecosystems in a Changing Climate. Beyond coursework, I participated in fieldwork, joining a GINR team on various sampling deployments throughout the fjords of western Greenland.
These experiences integrated cutting-edge research, field exploration, and academic collaboration, enriching my understanding of Arctic systems and their global significance.
Wanna learn more? Check out this article!
Me in the fume hood using hydrofluoric acid to dissolve away any non-target minerals. HF is quite nasty, which means you need a lot of PPE! [Photo credit: Dr. Daniel Morgan.]