Khalil Gibran once said, “If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?” Statements such as the one made by Gibran remind me how little people understand volcanoes. The quote forgets that when a volcano erupts it exemplifies such power and strength. Resurfacing the Earth. Destroying the past and making way for the future. Even in the scientific world, so little is understood about these magnificent geologic beasts. Every day, I fall more in love with my science.

 

I am a geologist with a passion for volcanoes and science communication. My research background is diverse. During my undergraduate, I participated in multiple projects including an investigation of volcanic and wind erosion features on Mars during a NASA Space Grant Internship. Now, as a volcanologist, I study volcanic hazards and the material volcanoes produce by utilizing imaging and geochemical analytical equipment. My work focuses on magmatic processes by interpreting rock and mineral textures, as well as recognizing small-scale chemical changes. 

 

To explore these questions, I use:

• Detailed petrographic observation and description

• In-situ analytical techniques such as electron probe and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

• High-resolution imaging using Scanning Electron Microscopy

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Click on the links on the right for details about past and present projects.