Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Sciences, Biology Option
Honors Thesis Title: Earliest Paleocene Multituberculate Mammals from the Constenius Locality, Garfield County, Montana: A Perspective from Premolar Morphometry
Minor in Paleobiology

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

It’s hard to pick just one since I have had so many amazing experiences during my time with the ESS program at UW, from watching F-16s fly overhead while I was mapping the geology near Easton, WA, for the ESS 401 class, to presenting on my research at the ESS Research Gala. But out of everything, there is one experience that will stick with me for the rest of my life. During the summer of 2024, I took the Paleobiology Field Methods course. For this class, we spent around two and a half weeks in northeastern Montana learning how to dig up fossils both big and small. During our final project, I was working with my group (The Beans!!) to surface crawl a fossil microsite. During my surface crawl, I discovered relatively large upper therian molars. I identified these teeth as belonging to Triisodontidae, a group of early mammals that were some of the largest to appear in the Paleocene after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. On that very hot day, sitting in what once was a massive river 66 million years ago, a childhood dream came true. The feelings of elation and excitement at the find are indescribable. Truly one of the most special moments of my life, and a memory I will never forget.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

It’s hard for me not to automatically say my favorite classes were the field classes (ESS 401 and ESS 449 / BIOL 475) because I absolutely love fieldwork. Outside of the field courses, my favorite class was ESS 453 / BIOL 443 (Evolution of Mammals and their Ancestors). I love mammals, and I plan to continue studying fossil mammals in graduate school, so that class is easily my favorite. Additionally, the content and assignments were fun and interesting, and I really enjoyed the research paper assignment for that class.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Outside of my classes and research, I am a fossil preparator in the Burke Museum Fossil Preparation Lab, where I spend my time cleaning the fossils collected from the field and preparing them to go into the museum collections. I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of amazing projects, from Triceratops fossils to the arm bones of a Gorgonopsid. Outside of paleontology, I love Olympic-style weightlifting, choir/singing, hiking, fishing, baseball, football, motorsports (rally, MotoGP, IMSA, World Endurance Championship, Formula 1, and so on), cars, and motorcycles.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

Between October 30th and November 2nd, 2024, I presented on my research at the 2024 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While presenting, I got to meet and discuss my work with experts on Paleocene multituberculates and early mammals, and I gained lots of feedback that will help me improve my research. Additionally, I was exposed to different areas of research through the variety of presentations at SVP, and I got to meet some of the paleontologists who were my childhood heroes. It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I will be taking a gap year, but in the future I plan to pursue a PhD and eventually continue into a career in vertebrate paleontology. Specifically, I am interested in studying conservation paleobiology. Conservation paleobiology focuses on studying patterns of extinction in the fossil record to better inform modern conservation practices. Essentially trying to use the past to inform the future. My goal is to apply my work in paleontology to bigger issues facing the world today, and my hope is that my work studying vertebrate paleontology can contribute positive change to modern issues. For the specific material, I am interested in studying mammals from the late Neogene to the Quaternary looking at how past climate shifts affected fossil mammals and mammal communities.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Physics Option
Minor in Applied Math

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Finding the friends I have! Before I joined this major I struggled to make lasting friendships at UW, but when I joined this program I quickly found people to be friends with. The people in this community are some of the most friendliest I’ve found here.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

My favorite class was 212 with Juliet Crider. It was the first class I took for this program and I was surprised to see just how much I enjoyed identifying rocks both in lab and on the field trip we took. I thought the course was a really great comprehensive start to my journey here.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

While I was in school I decided to self-study computer science as a hobby. I initially reasoned it would be a good skill set to have in any general STEM field, but while looking for jobs or internships for the summer before my senior year I decided to apply to a software engineering position out of the blue.

I managed to get the internship and I was offered a job to work there after graduation! Though the fields are overall unrelated, I think the different perspective I have and expanded knowledge/skills I posses due to coming from an unrelated field of study will benefit me in the long run.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Physics Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Field trips.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 420, Arcgis is really fun to play around.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Work out, like swimming. Watch movies and tv series. Play video games.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Going to Columbia University’s Applied Analytics grad program. Starting this fall.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Physics Option
Honors Research title: Implications of Ice Shelf Morphology in Dynamic Modeling
Minor in Mathematics
Minor in Piano Performance

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Being able to present my research at the AGU Fall 2022 meeting in Chicago.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 427- Tectonic Geomorphology. I really enjoyed the topics discussed and how the professor, Alison Duvall, encouraged discussion and debate on the material we covered. The best part of this class is that now I am able to point out morphological features when I’m out hiking and explain to my friends what they can tell us about the geologic history of the area!

What do you like to do outside of school?

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I’ve been able to present my research on ice shelf surface morphology at two national conferences – AGU and Northwest Glaciologists!

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I’ve taken the last quarter to wrap up my undergraduate research, and in August I will be heading to Duke University in North Carolina to pursue a PhD studying coastal morphodynamics and fluvial geomorphology.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Going on field trips and camping during the Summer field course. Using Arc GIS to map locations and then actually going to those places and figuring out how to correlate my perception of the wild landscape to the clean lines of the map was an excellent experience.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

Definitely ESS 205, Access to Space. Getting to design my own telemetry project with a team and send it tens of thousands of meters into the atmosphere was awesome. I got to design circuit boards, solder, collect and study micro-organisms, build a lightweight case to protect our paramecia and electronics, drive to the middle of the state, get inside a weather balloon while it filled with air, attach our project to the balloon payload, stand in the sun for hours collecting garbled data, recover the payload from the middle of a family farm’s field, and drive it all back to the lab to discover that paramecia cannot in fact survive being hurled into the below-freezing sky and then ungracefully plummeting back to earth. Not only was ESS 205 a non-stop adventure, I made real friends with my teammates, got to explore many of my interests and skills, and discovered a passion for Earth and Space Sciences after previously not even being aware of the major’s existence.

What do you like to do outside of school?

I’m an artist and work with many media including but not limited to digital, guache, oil paint, ink, graphite, charcoal, glass, metal, clay, wood, fabric, leather, bones, and skin. Additionally, I like to camp/hike, motorcycle, travel to other countries, go to concerts, cook healthy food, study alternative fashion, learn about random things, and hang out with my beautiful perfect cats and lizard.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I recently worked on AI humor training research and became an author on my first ever scientific publication, I run a successful underground goth/punk music and event venue in Ravenna, and I’m a published illustrator and designer.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

My plans are to travel, continue to explore myriad art forms, and get a super cool and high paying job in a space/tech related field that I’m passionate about.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Sitting on the third floor with the big window and studying all things geology.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 213: Akshay was a great professor, and I really enjoyed the class.

What are your current plans post-graduation or what have you been doing since graduation?

I plan on taking the LSATs and applying to law school.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Hanging out with my family, taking my doggies to the park, looking for rocks, baking, and running.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I made it through school with a toddler.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I am planning on doing field school and then taking my LSATs for law school.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option
Minor in Data Science
Minor in Digital Arts and Experimental Media

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 313 Geobiology and both ESS GIS classes (the teachers were awesome, and I learned a lot of valuable GIS tools for my career, and things about bacteria that helped me understand chemistry more intuitively).

What do you like to do outside of school?

Making art, 3D modeling, watching movies, and dancing!

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I’ve worked on research in an REU with COLDEX (Center for Oldest Ice Exploration) and presented research posters at science conferences.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I’m going to work at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a post-bachelor’s RA to find solutions to waste disposal in the clean-up efforts at the Hanford plant.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option
Minor in Environmental Studies

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

My favorite experience with the ESS program is the many field trips I went on. I really enjoyed learning about the geologic history of Washington and getting to see outcrops spanning all the way from Cle Elum to Bellingham. I enjoy revisiting these sites to see how they have changed since I have last saw them.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

My favorite class was also ESS field school with Alison Duvall and Cailey Condit. I took away a lot of valuable skills from this class and I really enjoyed all the field trips and getting to know more about the geomorphology of the Western Washington region!

What are your current plans post-graduation or what have you been doing since graduation?

I am planning on staying in Seattle and am currently trying to find a job in the geology or environmental science fields!

What do you like to do outside of school?

I enjoy spending time outside going on hikes, playing volleyball, and wakeboarding!

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I plan on finding work to gain experience in the geology and environmental science fields then returning to school to get my graduate degree!

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Biology Option
Bachelor of Art in Spanish
Honors Research: A new North American calibration for predicting canopy structure in deep time using epidermal phytolith morphology

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 211, it was my first class in the major and made me more passionate about geology.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I was the Undergraduate Outreach Coordinator for Rockin’ Out.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I will be pursuing a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Arkansas.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geology Option
Honors Research title: Deformation & Fluid Migration Through a Subducting Slab

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

I have loved connecting with my peers and growing a sense of community among the undergraduate students. Going through school and doing work with so many brilliant people has been a constant inspiration to me.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

My favorite class is either GIS or Geochemistry. Not only were they both transformative in my education but they also fostered a lot of my own creativity and imagination. I loved learning the tools that enabled me to explore more of my interests.

What do you like to do outside of school?

I enjoy exploring the city, going to the beach, out on the lake, or camping.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I had the opportunity to research vulnerable populations in the case of an earthquake along the Seattle fault as well as do research on Will Hoover’s Monviso Ophiolite project. I presented the latter project at the GSA Cordilleran conference and at the Puget Sound AEG meeting, winning an award for second place. Beyond research, I’m happy to say I’ve immersed myself in community by volunteering as AEG’s student liaison, teaching with Rockin’ Out, serving on the ESS Community Relations committee and volunteer at the Cascade Volcano Observatory.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I intend to go into Emergency Management and Geo-hazard preparedness. I’ll eventually get my Master’s but I’m looking forward to contributing to Washington’s preparedness plans.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

John Stones weekend field trip to eastern WA.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

Earth Materials. I like minerals.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Collect rocks.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I own a business.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Get a job (don’t have one yet).

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option
Quantitative Science Minor

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Any of the many fieldtrips, doing student research with Akshay Mehra, or doing paleontology work out in Montana as part of the Paleontology field methods course.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

Paleobiology with Roger Buick because of how much about evolution I learned and how evidence is recorded and evaluated for paleobiology; OR Rivers and Beaches with Dave Montgomery and Chuck Nittrouer because it was super interesting to see how a chunk of rock goes from the tallest point locally out as a small grain to the sea, building the environment around itself as it does.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Creative writing, crocheting, watching movies

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Immediately following, I plan to get a job as a community college classroom aide or a research assistant position in a (paleo)biological science role to get some money and prep my application for grad school. From there, I would love to go to grad school and explore deep time evolution in the rock record, making sense of the creatures in our world today with the creatures from the past.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I’ve been hard at work on operational improvements of a Seattle-based veterinary pathology lab while reclaiming a healthy and balanced lifestyle and looking forward to gaining industry experience in the mineral resource exploration and extraction industry here, there, and everywhere.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Sciences, Physics Option
Minor in Applied Mathematics and Physics

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

The field trips.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 420, Steven Walters is the best professor out there and makes the class super fun and exciting for everyone.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Play the guitar and watch movies.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Still looking for a job.

Bachelor of Arts in Earth and Space Sciences

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I have and hope to continue working in video game development.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Biology Option
Honors Research Title: Exploring Variability in S-Layer Protein Concentration and Cell Count in Response to Changes in Growth. Conditions of a Deep-Sea Hyperthermophilic Methanogen
Minor in Microbiology

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Spending a weekend camping for field camp.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 482: Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory.

What do you like to do outside of school?

I like to go to concerts, play video games, and cook.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

Graduating with honors and completing a research project.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I’m looking to work in environmental science for a bit before pursuing graduate school.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geology Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Since it is always good to get out in the field, I will say the ESS 213 field trip with Akshay Mehra to Manchester State Park was a lot of fun and did a great job highlighting the scope of geologic time in one location.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

There were parts of so many classes that were great, but what drew me to geology was rocks and minerals, so ESS 312 (Earth Materials) was an awesome way to learn how to identify rocks and minerals, and why they form.

What are your current plans post-graduation or what have you been doing since graduation?

I’m going to be working as a geologist for a local environmental consulting company called Farallon Consulting.

What do you like to do outside of school?

I try to get up to the mountains and enjoy our awesome local geology whenever I can. If I’m not there, I’m hanging out with my family, playing music, or staying active some other way.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Physics Option
Mathematical Physics Minor

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS212 was my favorite class I took for the major because it was the first class I had to learn to identify rocks and minerals. It was so great to learn more about the world around me I decided then that I wanted to study Earth sciences.

What are your current plans post-graduation or what have you been doing since graduation?

Since graduation, I’ve been working on writing up the research I did over the summer and fall of 2024 with the USGS Earthquake Science Center. I hope to publish this research sometime this spring/summer.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Outside of school I make and sell my art, work behind the scenes in theaters, and spend time with my cat.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Physics Option
Honors Research title: Effects of active faulting on the geomorphology of the southeastern Olympic Mountains

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Doing research with Professor Alison Duvall.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

ESS 101 or ESS 425: ESS 101 opened my mind to how broad and interconnected geosciences are, while tectonic geomorphology completely reshaped how I thought about tectonics and landscapes. Both were very fun and very well taught.

What are your current plans post-graduation or what have you been doing since graduation?

I will begin a PhD program with Professor Mike Oskin at UC Davis in the Fall

What do you like to do outside of school?

Hiking, skateboarding, rock climbing.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option
Honors Research title: Sensitivity of Cascadia Earthquake Probabilities
Minor in Data Science

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

My best memory from the ESS program was the field trip in ESS 401. We traveled to several places around Washington, exploring nature while doing geology. It was an amazing experience to be out in the field with classmates who shared the same interests.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

My favorite class was ESS 456: Sedimentary Geology and Depositional Environments. I’ve always been interested in sedimentary rocks, and this class really deepened that passion. I especially enjoyed Professor Mehra’s teaching because he made the material engaging and easy to connect with. One of the highlights was the field trip to Whidbey Island, where we studied real depositional environments in a beautiful setting. It was a great mix of learning, nature, and being with classmates who shared the same interests.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Outside of school, I love hiking around Washington and exploring different parts of Seattle. Some of my favorite places are Gas Works Park and Alki Beach. I also visit Mount Rainier every summer, as it’s one of my favorite hiking spots.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I completed an independent research project titled Sensitivity of Cascadia Earthquake Probabilities, where I learned Python and explored the intersection of data science and geoscience. The project, advised by Professor Schmidt and postdoc Jey Kim, taught me a lot about sensitivity testing and data analysis. I’m especially grateful to both of them for their guidance and encouragement throughout the research process. It was a valuable learning experience that shaped my academic interests!

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

After graduation, I will return to my home country, Malaysia, and work as an exploration geologist.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geology Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

My best memory with the ESS program was being able to participate in undergraduate research as well as presenting at the ESS Gala.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

My favorite class was ESS 311: Geomechanics. The intersection of geology and geophysics taught in this class was very fascinating to learn about.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

This summer I am doing some field research and then moving down to Corvallis. I plan to apply to graduate school in a couple years to continue learning about earth processes.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geology Option

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Year off then a Master in Geology degree.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geoscience Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Collecting granodiorite samples in Eastern Washington.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

What do you like to do outside of school?

Reading, bingo, bouldering.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

Learning how to make thin sections is a skill I am immensely grateful to have gained here. Also learning to use Excel to its full ability.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Masters in Earth Structure and Dynamics at Utrecht University.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Physics Option

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

Working in the student rock lab with friends and John Stone.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Attempt to find a job in the environmental industry.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Hiking and climbing.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geology option
Honors Research title: Using Garnet Inclusions to Test Shared Provenance in Coastal and Puget Sound Beach Sands

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

I came to UW as a postbaccalaureate, decades after my first degree. The overwhelming acceptance from the majority of the students and professors in the ESS department was unexpected but much appreciated. The encouragement to go beyond classwork, then to discover the extent of my dreams and go after them, especially from Juliet Crider and Fang-Zhen Teng, have redefined my future goals and plans.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

Tectonic Geomorphology with Allison Duvall. For the first time, I could see myself in one of my professors and watching her caused me to consider teaching as an element of my future plan and not just research. But more than that, this was my introduction to how GIS and remote sensing is used in geology. It was the only class to give me pause and wonder if I might enjoy studying something other than volcanism. I now refer to the mountain range I studied for my final project in that class, the Santa Susannas in California, as “my mountains.”

What are your current plans post-graduation or what have you been doing since graduation?

I plan to study modern volcanism in graduate school, location and advisor undecided.

What do you like to do outside of school?

Play board games, hike, read, watch baseball and hockey, bake, show off pictures of my granddaughter.

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I was invited, along with another UW graduate, to present our UG honors research to the Quimper Geological Society in May 2025. What an amazing experience and honor to present for a group that usually hears from university professors and other professional researchers.

Additional highlights: attending Field Camp in Hawaii, where I spent three weeks living on Kilauea and learning how to map lava fields, identify pyroclastic flows in a 100,000+ year old stratigraphic columns, and map the full traversable length of a private lava tube; having a summer internship with the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Pasadena, where I did fine-scale GIS mapping of earthquake ruptures to form a dataset (to be published by the USGS) aiding in a new tool to use unpiloted UAVs to safely map future ruptures saving time and information and allowing EQ scientists to get to the actual science faster; field work in the Indian Heaven volcanic fields, gathering cinder cone tephra samples for a UW grad student’s research.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

I hope to take some time to volunteer at a Volcano Observatory and/or National Park as a geologist/volcanologist in training. Afterwards, I am looking forward to attending graduate school which will hopefully including elements of petrology, geochemistry, and physical volcanology.

Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Science, Geology Option
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
Departmental Honors

What is your best memory or experience with the ESS program?

My favorite memories with the ESS department were experiences in the field. Whether it was visiting flood basalts in Eastern Washington or mapping in the Italian Alps, field work was always exciting and enriching to my education.

Favorite class you took for the ESS major and why?

My favorite class was Economic Geology with John Stone. This course built on topics from Geochemistry and Earth Materials and introduced some super interesting geology!

What do you like to do outside of school?

I enjoy running, climbing, and watching reality TV with my roommates!

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

I am proud of the research projects I worked on with Fang-Zhen Teng’s group. Through this experience, I was awarded two Mary Gates Research Fellowships and presented my work at the 2025 GSA Cordilleran Section Meeting, where I received the Best Undergraduate Poster Award.

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Doctor of Philosophy in Earth and Space Sciences and Astrobiology
Dissertation: Insight into Enceladus’s ocean chemistry, habitability, and past from fractionation studies of the erupting plume

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Doctor of Philosophy in Earth and Space Sciences and Astrobiology
Dissertation: Soils, Salts, and Water: Geochemical and Astrobiological Investigations of Briny Martian Regolith

Do you have any accomplishments or activities you would like to highlight?

Johnston Award for Excellence in Research

What next steps do you have planned for after graduation?

Continue exploring Mars as a Postdoctoral Researcher

Is there anything else you would like to add?