Ariane Ducellier
- PhD, Earth and Space Sciences
- Kenneth Creager
- Ecole Centrale Paris (France), M.Eng. (Engineering)
- The focus of my research is slow earthquakes, that is earthquake-like events that release energy over a period of hours to months, rather than the seconds to minutes characteristic of a typical earthquake. They are only detectable by instruments are not felt by people and do not cause damage. Slow earthquakes occur repeatedly at the same place every few months or years, contrary to typical earthquakes which will only repeat every few dozens or hundred years. Thus, I have access to very large data sets that I spend a lot of time analyzing. I am interested in understanding the mechanism of these slow earthquakes, and why the Earth is moving slowly at some places and fast at other places.
- Data analysis of recordings of slow earthquakes (tectonic tremor, low-frequency earthquakes, and slow slip events)
- Strait of Juan de Fuca/Olympic Peninsula
Department and pursued degree:
- PhD, Earth and Space Sciences
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Beka Stiling
- MS, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Julian Olden and Gordon Holtgrieve
- Wheaton College, BA (Theology) & University of Washington, BS (Aquatic and Fishery Sciences)
- I study the connection between shoreline algae and rainbow trout in mountain lakes, how energy moves through lake ecosystems, and how algae is the first step of the energy pathway. Using sunlight and air, floating algae and shoreline algae make small packets of energy. My goal is to understand the conditions that make shoreline algae the most important for fish populations. While I collect fish and algae samples from mountain lakes, in the laboratory I estimate the amount of shoreline and floating algae that go into each fish's body tissue. By understanding the importance of shoreline algae pathways, we can better understand how changes to shoreline habitat, owing to climate change and human use, may impact fish populations.
- Determinants of resource use by rainbow trout in mountain lakes
- Cascade Mountains
Department and pursued degree:
- MS, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Bryan Pelach
- PhD, Environmental and Forest Sciences
- Marc Miller and Bernard Bormann
- Gustavus Adolphus College, BA (Classics & Geography); University of Washington, MMA (Marine and Environmental Affairs)
- In recent years there have been a flurry of prospective projects to install submarine cables connecting the Washington coast (and Seattle's tech industry) with Asian markets. Access to high speed internet is an important resource for tourism and recreation brokers on the Olympic Peninsula, but there are also concerns about how further development may impact timber and fishing communities. Using key informant interviews, participatory mapping, and spatial analysis, my research explores the ways that high speed internet and its associated infrastructures may reconfigure natural resource governance in areas where recreation interests are managed alongside natural resource commodities.
- Timber, trawler, trail: the production of recreation space as a natural resource in coastal Pacific Northwest communities
- Olympic Peninsula
Department and pursued degree:
- PhD, Environmental and Forest Sciences
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Claire Buysse
- PhD, Atmospheric Sciences
- Dan Jaffe
- College of Saint Benedict, BA (Chemistry)
- I study how wildfire smoke affects air quality, particularly in cities like Seattle. When wildfire smoke is blown into cities it can increase the concentration of ozone, a harmful air pollutant that causes respiratory and cardiovascular problems. In order to understand how smoke affects ozone formation, I make measurements of ozone precursors at our observatory on top of Mount Bachelor, OR. I also use monitoring station data from across the western US to look at trends in urban ozone pollution during smoke events.
- How is the photochemical production of O3 modulated by smoke?
- UW-Seattle and UW-Bothell, WA; Mount Bachelor Observatory, OR
Department and pursued degree:
- PhD, Atmospheric Sciences
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Lillian McGill
- PhD, Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management
- Gordon Holtgrieve and E. Ashley Steel
- University of Notre Dame, BS (Applied Math and Environmental Science)
- I study how river water source (things like rain, snow and groundwater), temperature and hydrology have changed in the past and are likely to change in the future. I approach this topic by driving around river basins collecting water samples, analyzing water temperature data and using statistical models to understand how patterns vary through both space and time. Ultimately, my research aims to help resource managers maintain ecosystem function and habitat in the face of climate change by understanding where and what climate driven changes to rivers have already occurred, and develop a suite of inexpensive, broadly applicable tools that resource managers can use to understand what river basins may be at risk in the future.
- Climate Change Impacts on Stream Thermal and Hydrologic Regimes
- Western North America and the Snoqualmie River
Department and pursued degree:
- PhD, Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Loma Pendergraft
- PhD, Environmental and Forest Sciences
- John Marzluff
- Oklahoma State University, BS (Wildlife Ecology and Management)
- American crows are renowned for their intelligence, yet despite being widespread throughout our cities and suburbs, there’s still so much we don’t know about their capabilities. Can they use tools? How quickly can they learn and master a task? I attempt to answer these questions by observing captive crows as they attempt to solve novel tasks and working with the UW Radiology department to scan their brains as they contemplate those tasks. Ultimately, this research will expand our knowledge of how the avian brain works, and shed additional light on just how smart those charismatic crows are.
- Clever crows: the individual, social, and neurological factors involved in the ability of American crows to learn and master novel tasks
- Seattle, WA
Department and pursued degree:
- PhD, Environmental and Forest Sciences
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Sallie Lau
- MMA, Marine and Environmental Affairs
- Yoshi Ota
- Dalhousie University, BSc (Marine Biology and Creative Writing)
- I study coastal megaprojects: artificial islands, spiderwebs of bridges, five-star hotels perched on the oceanside like an oversized crab. I look at their cumulative effects on a place, how they transform the landscape, economy and connectivity in communities. I do this research in several ways: I analyze government plans and documents for narratives about the megaproject, interview people about what they think of it and write sci-fi stories about it! It's really a contrast of narratives and values aimed at illustrating how overdevelopment driven by hegemonic values of growth hinders improvements desired by local communities.
- Connectivity and optimization for whom: Contrasting plans and perceptions of coastal megaprojects in Hong Kong and Southern China
- Hong Kong and Zhuhai, China
Department and pursued degree:
- MMA, Marine and Environmental Affairs
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
Sarah Dewey
- PhD, Oceanography
- Jamie Morison
- Yale University, BS (Geology & Geophysics)
- I look at physical changes in the western Arctic Ocean, describing the mechanisms by which ice, ocean and atmosphere interact. To do this work, I use satellite remote sensing tools and airborne hydrographic measurements to observe the seasonal ice zone in the Beaufort Gyre, which is the part of the ocean extending from full ice cover to open water. These observations, together with computer models, tell the story of how this complicated physical system behaves in three dimensions, against the backdrop of larger global change.
- The Changing Freshwater Dynamics of the Western Arctic Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
Department and pursued degree:
- PhD, Oceanography
Faculty advisor(s):
Previous institution and degree:
Research interest:
Dissertation title:
Research location:
