Graduate Student Profiles

Office Location: ST 240

Area of Specialization: Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry, Oceanography

Jessica graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Marine Science in 2021. She became interested in hydrothermal vents during her undergrad while doing research using δ¹³C values of lipid biomarkers extracted from a carbonate hydrothermal chimney to determine if the microbes inhabiting different thermochemical gradients utilized distinct carbon sources. Before beginning graduate school at Lehigh, Jessica spent a year working at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as a lab manager doing hydrothermal organic geochemistry. Her current research focuses on understanding both geochemical and biogeochemical interactions at various hydrothermal vent fields across the Pacific Ocean. She has extensive oceanographic fieldwork experience, participating in three month-long research cruises since she arrived at Lehigh. In her free time, Jessica enjoys tending to her garden plot in the Lehigh Community Garden, baking, reading, game nights, and any and all ocean-related activities.

Office Location: STEPS 570

Area of Specialization: Thermochronology, Landscape Evolution

Andrew is a PhD Candidate in Earth & Environmental Sciences at Lehigh University, and a Geoscientist for the PA Geologic Survey Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources in Middletown, PA. He received his BS in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and MS in Earth Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research focuses on thermochronologic technique development and the post-orogenic landscape evolution of the Appalachians. He is also interested in geoscience outreach, having been an earth science-based camp director for the past four years at the Pocono Environmental Education Center.

Office Location: ST 140

Area of Specialization: Paleoecology, paleoclimate

Alexis earned her B.S. in Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2019, with a minor in geology. She has a lifelong interest in paleontology, which was broadened during an undergraduate paleoclimatology course where she collected mangrove peat cores to identify hurricane deposits. In her current research, Alexis studies Arctic peat cores to learn about past environmental conditions, focusing on the response of Sphagnum moss and testate amoebae to the past 200 years of rapid anthropogenic global warming. By incorporating techniques on every scale from mass spectrometry of carbon isotopes, to identifying microbes and plant fragments under the microscope, and even peat accumulation modeling, she can build a comprehensive view of what is happening in this ecosystem during such drastic change. While she doesn’t know exactly what’s next after graduate school, she would love to continue doing anything related to wetlands, whether that’s collecting data on the plants, water, or wildlife as a scientist, working for a regulatory agency, helping to map and manage wetlands for restoration and conservation, or teaching at a university. In her free time, Alexis enjoys an eclectic lineup of hobbies, including camping, paddleboarding, adventure RPG video games, yoga, brain-teaser puzzles and trivia.

Office Location: ERC B235

Area of Specialization: Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Combustion Residues

Nafisa Tasnim is a Ph.D. researcher in Mechanical Engineering at Lehigh University, specializing in heat transfer, computational modeling, and sustainable energy systems. She earned her B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), where her thesis focused on optimizing vortex generators for enhanced heat transfer in compact heat exchangers. Her research spans computational fluid dynamics (CFD), battery modeling, and rare earth element (REE) extraction. She is currently contributing to a $2.5 million DOE-funded project on recovering critical minerals from utility waste streams, advancing resource sustainability. Her work on CFD modeling, battery simulations, and machine learning applications in energy systems has been published in leading journals and conferences. Professionally, she has worked as an Assistant Mechanical Engineer at Doreen Power Generations and Systems LTD., overseeing power plant commissioning, fuel analysis, and mechanical integration. She also applied her engineering expertise in AI-driven hydroponic systems as a Sales Analyst at Gardyn. Beyond research, Nafisa is a Bangabandhu Innovation Grant 2023 recipient and 1st Runner-Up at the Aam Bazar Pioneros 3.0 Business Competition, showcasing her entrepreneurial mindset. She is also a Red Belt in Goju Ryu Karate, reflecting her discipline and perseverance. Committed to engineering excellence and interdisciplinary innovation, Nafisa strives to develop cutting-edge solutions in energy sustainability and resource efficiency.