Madeline Ball: I am from central Ohio and received my B.Sc. in Evolution and Ecology from The Ohio State University, where I completed an undergraduate thesis investigating the evolution and ecology of bite force in kangaroo rats, pocket gophers, and their relatives. I’ll be working with Dr. Samantha Hopkins as a PhD student to continue my rodent-y research, focusing on how small mammal ecology responds to habitat change through time. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy camping, baking, and visiting museums.

Annabelle Carozza grew up in Bellevue Nebraska for most of her life and received a BS degree in geology from Western Washington University. During undergrad she studied Cinder Cone Volcano in Lassen National Volcanic Park, California. In her previous research venture, she studied the eruptive products of Cinder Cone to gain insights into the volcano’s variable explosivity and magma ascent rates. She has always been interested in volcanology and is very excited to begin her graduate school journey at UO studying under the guidance of Paul Wallace. In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and playing Mario Kart.

Edgar Carrillo: I grew up in Mountain View, California, but have lived in Nashville, Tennessee, for the last few years. My academic background includes a B.S. in Physics from California State University and an M.S. in Physics from Fisk University. I have been working on my M.S. in Earth Science while researching the dynamics of water-rich volcanic plumes at Vanderbilt University.

My research interests include submarine volcanism, pyroclastic density currents, and mathematical modeling. I also bring industry experience from roles at Waymo and Caltech and am actively involved in teaching and outreach, contributing to the academic and scientific communities. This fall, I will be in Leif Karlstrom‘s lab, where I am pursuing my Ph.D.

Henry Chandler: I am from Columbus, Indiana and I did my undergrad at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Geology. I was in a geomorphology lab at WashU where I researched river valley shape and bedrock erosion on river beds. I graduated in 2023 and continued my research since then. At UO I’ll be pursuing a Master’s degree with Dr. Josh Roering, researching landslide risk assessment. In my free time I enjoy hiking, snowboarding, pickleball, soccer, board games, and being lazy!

Olivia Corrin: I grew up in Kirkland, Washington and graduated with my BS in physics and minor in math from Seattle University in 2016. As an undergraduate, I assisted with Dr. Joanne Hughes-Carlile’s observational astronomy research and performed spectroscopic analysis of the outer halo globular cluster Segue 3. After taking a break to focus on my health, I am beyond excited to be joining Dr. Carol Paty’s planetary science group, where I will focus on space physics and study magnetosphere interactions of outer solar system planets. In my free time, I am a novice powerlifter, a huge fan of sci-fi and horror, and a vegan passionate about animal rescue and welfare.

Jonathan Gitzendanner: I am from Gainesville, Florida and did my undergraduate at the UCF studying aerospace engineering with a mathematics minor. Multiphase fluid dynamics have been the motif through my projects as an undergraduate and I’m excited to continue this at Oregon. My main project studied hydrodynamics of polo kayaks (yes! It’s a real sport!). I have also worked on modeling particles in various compressible flows for both the Air Force Research Lab and most recently the Office of Navy Research. I am excited to be pursuing my PhD under Professor Josef Dufek starting this Fall. I will be working on a project related to particle interactions in the compressible plumes of volcanic eruptions. In my spare time I enjoy finding waterfalls and climbing with friends.

Danilo Gonzalez Faletto‘s childhood was shaped by the majestic Andes and the dynamic Peru-Chile Trench in his native Chile. After earning his Bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Concepción, he dedicated several years to hydrocarbon exploration in the rugged terrain of Patagonia. He is excited to embark on a new academic journey under the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Dorsey. In his free time, Danilo loves capturing landscapes through photography, climbing hills, going for jogs, diving into a good book, and enjoying the company of friends.

Braden Hensley:  I am from Portland, OR, and completed my undergraduate degree here at the UO with a BS in Earth Sciences in 2023. This past year, I have worked with the Oregon Hazards Lab as a field technician where I installed and maintained seismic monitoring sites across the state. I am very excited to return to the UO as a PhD student working with Professor Valerie Sahakian on research related to seismogeodesy and earthquake source modeling. In my free time, I enjoy reading, bouldering, board games/RPGs, soccer, and backpacking.

Lizzy Knight grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and attended Reed College in Portland where she studied Chemistry. During this time she developed an interest in organometallics and how they alter mechanisms of chemical reactions. After graduating Lizzy returned to Massachusetts to teach high school chemistry but going back to school was always on her mind! She is excited to start working with Paul Wallace this fall studying Geochemistry and Volcanology. Some of Lizzy’s favorite activities include rock climbing and traveling. She is also an avid knitter, cross stitcher and a big fan of Stardew Valley.

Adam Lucas: I am from Belmont, NC (near Charlotte) and completed my B.S. in environmental science at Appalachian State University, where I researched frontal ablation on Alaskan lake-terminating glaciers and explored the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. I will be attending the University of Oregon to join Dr. Dave Sutherland‘s Oceans & Ice lab. In my free time, I like to read, hike, and cook.

Rose Makori (Nyaboke Juma)

Born and brought up in Kenya, BSC in Applied Biology from the Technical University of Kenya. Working at the National Museums of Kenya, Earth sciences Department, Paleontology lab as a collection research assistant. Research interests: Paleoclimate, systematics and fossil record.

My journey to the University of Oregon began around fall 2022 with a search of a University with program in Earth sciences, Paleontology option and that’s how I came to know my Msc, Earth Sciences advisor professor Samantha Hopkins whose research interests align with mine. During free time I like taking a walk/hiking, listening to gospel music, crocheting and knitting. I am happy to join the Ducks community.

Zack Martin: I am originally from Roseville, California and I attended UO for a B.S. in both Earth Sciences and Popular Music Studies. I began my undergraduate studies as an Environmental Science major, but witnessing the Iceland Fagradalsfjall eruption in 2022 and tutoring the introductory physics sequence has made me fall in love with physical volcanology and geophysical processes! Additionally, I worked with Joe Dufek to research acoustical levitation methods for studying volcanic particles in isolation. I am excited to begin my PhD studies in Fall 2024 under Joe Dufek to study the effect of triboelectrification on hydrocarbon sediment transport on the moon Titan. In my free time, I am an avid popular music musicologist and musician. I also love hiking, backpacking, attending concerts, and drinking coffee!

David McCurdy grew up in San Diego, California. He received his B.S. from the University of California Santa Cruz. During this time David worked as an undergraduate researcher in the Hain biogeochemistry lab where he used numerical models to investigate orbital effects on upwelling over the Southern Ocean in order to gain insight into the glacial-interglacial cycles of the late Pleistocene. David will be starting his PhD at the University of Oregon this spring with Dr. Chris Poulsen. David’s research interests include climate dynamics, paleoclimatology, physical climatology and numerical modeling. In his free time David enjoys cycling, playing piano, surfing and community service.

Cecilia Meneses Ponce is a proud Mexican-Aztec with a heart for physics, mathematics, and a passion for Artificial Intelligence. She’s fascinated by earthquakes and dedicated to helping others through her career in disaster risk reduction. Currently, she’s honored to be part of Dr. Melgar‘s team, focusing on Machine Learning and Early Warning Systems. In her free time, you’ll find her reading, dancing, and singing. And when she needs a break from the chaos of S-waves, she enjoys swimming.

Ries Plescher is a proud Michigander, having lived in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor for all but 4 years of his life (the first 4 were in Anchorage, AK). He earned a BSE in Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan and is hoping to make a seamless transfer over to Earth Science with the aid of a few years of hydrology and landslide research in Nepal and Puerto Rico. He’s stoked to join Josh Roering‘s group this fall as a masters student, returning to Alaska to study debris flows in the rainy southeast! Ries is in his element when he’s hiking, biking, camping, and generally photosynthesizing, but on rainy days you’ll find him playing board games, filling out crosswords, and rewatching his favorite anime.

Andrea Quintanilla grew up in the east bay of Northern California and came to UO in 2017 for an undergraduate degree. As an undergrad she spent many hours cataloguing specimens and degreasing bones in the Primate Osteology Lab, as well as in the Geometric Morphometrics Lab, learning how to use statistical software to analyze data on a 3-dimensional scale. After earning a BA in 2021, with a triple concentration in Biological Anthropology, Archeology and Cultural Anthropology, (but mostly focused on Primatology), she started work as a temporary lab technician, and learned how to prepare fossil specimens in the fossil prep lab. After almost 3 years working she decided to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Earth Science, specifically studying and documenting her preparation of a Miocene baleen whale fossil, named “Wally”, who was found on the Oregon Coast in 2006. Fossil preparation and techniques, while not a commonly talked about paleontology topic, is a vital skill that Andrea is excited to learn more about and share with others as she works under Dr. Davis‘s mentorship. In her free time, she adores painting mini figures, collecting vinyl records and working on jigsaw puzzles with her husband, who she met at UO during undergrad.

Derek Zurenda grew up in Liverpool, New York. He pursued his undergraduate degree in Geological Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Derek worked in the Watershed Biogeochemistry lab with Dr. Richard Marinos for 3 years, there he assisted a master’s student on denitrification in urban lots in downtown Buffalo, and then developed his own research project where he investigated the retention of heavy metals in rain gardens. Derek will be working with Dr. Matthew Polizzotto in his Soil and Water lab to look at wildfire dynamics. In his free time, he likes to climb, hike, play guitar, and do photography.