Jacob Buffo is a 4^th year PhD student whose line of research is Ice-Ocean interactions both here on Earth and on icy moons in our solar system. Right now Jacob is specifically studying sea ice and ice shelves here on Earth, and Jupiter's moon Europa, which harbors a large subsurface ocean.  He is working under the advisement of Dr. Britney Schmidt. Jacob received his B.S. from the University of Iowa, a double major, awarded in Physics and Astronomy.  In his spare time Jacob enjoys the outdoors, specifically hiking, biking, snowboarding and xc skiing.

Biao Wan is a 2^nd year PhD student under the supervision of Professor and advisor Dr. Yuanzhi Tang. Biao has been working on exploring the role of exogenous polyphosphate in the precipitation of calcium phosphate minerals in the marine environment.  He received his B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Environmental Sciences from Huazhong Agricultural University and enjoys listening to music, watching movies, NBA games, cooking, and traveling in his spare time.

Click here to read more about Biao Wan.

Shelby Ellis is enjoying her 2^nd year as a graduate student in EAS.  Working very closely with faculty advisor Dr. Kim Cobb, Shelby’s specific line of research is paleoclimatology. Shelby received her B.A. in Chemistry from Florida Gulf Coast University. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, going to the beach and drinking margaritas.

Pan Liu is a 2^nd year PhD student. Working with faculty advisor Dr. Yuanzhi Tang, Pan is investigating the influence of microbial activities on the behaviors of a group of intriguing metals, the rare earth elements. He is also working on developing methods to harness microbes to recycle those metals from solid wastes, like coal fly ashes.  Pan Liu earned his B.S. from Nanjing University in Nanjing, China. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing basketball.

Amy Williamson is a 5^th year PhD student. Working with faculty advisor Dr. Andy Newman, Amy’s current research focus is geodesy, specifically modeling the source of tsunamigenic earthquakes.  Amy earned her BS in Geoscience from Denison University. When not preparing for her upcoming defense Amy enjoys going for runs on the weekend and beating fellow grad student Lucas Liuzzo in Scrabble.

Click here to read more about Amy Williamson.

Tiegan Hobbs is a 4^th year PhD student with EAS.  This summer she will also be graduating with an MS in Civil Engineering.  Her line of research is Geophysics where she specializes in the study of subduction zone physics and natural hazards. Tiegan is advised by Dr. Andrew Newman, with whom she studies postseismic recovery of the Nicoya megathrust. In her spare time Tiegan enjoys calligraphy and doing outreach with kids.

Justin Lawrence is a 2^nd year PhD student. His line of research is planetary science & astrobiology, with a good bit of oceanography mixed in.  Justin’s notable projects include Icefin, underwater submersible vehicle work and exploration in Antarctica with Dr. Britney Schmidt, as well as prior field work that included deployments to Antarctica in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017 with UC Davis and Montana State University. Justin received his BS in Geoscience from Boston College. He enjoys hiking, cycling, sailing, diving and surfing in his spare time.

1/3/2017

The following is an exerpt from the College of Sciences story by A. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D. Click here to read the entire story.

Yun Hee is a 3rd year graduate student working under the advisement of Dr. Irina Sokolik.  Her line of research includes remote sensing and numerical modeling related to biomass burning, with recent research looking at impacts of smoke on UV fluxes.  Yun Hee earned her B.A in Atmospheric Science from Yonsei University and a M.A in Atmospheric science from Univ. of Alabama in Huntsville. Working with Dr. Sokolik, Yun Hee published a paper last summer, which title is “Toward Developing a Climatology of Fire Emissions in Central Asia”.

Giovanni Liguori is a 4th year graduate student in EAS. He received his B.S. in Environmental Sciences, summa cum laude, from University of Naples “Parthenope” in Italy. While at Georgia Tech, he has been awarded the Domenica Rea D'Onofrio Fellowship and written 8 peer-reviewed publications that can be viewed on his webpage at www.oceanography.eas.gatech.edu/gianni/pubblications/