Month: February 2023

March EMS Postdoc Spotlight

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Dr. Mark Ortiz, Geography

Mark speaking at an international youth climate conference in Vienna, Austria, 2018

Advised by Dr. Lorraine Dowler

I’m a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography. My research explores how youth climate movements like the School Strikes for Climate shape the global politics of climate change and considers how involving children and young people in politics can help to address some of the most pressing problems of this century like climate change. Many of us know about the most visible youth climate advocates like Greta Thunberg, but there are countless stories of young people working in their communities to respond to environmental change which I aim to tell. My research has given me the opportunity to travel all over the world doing fieldwork, attend incredible events like the U.N. climate negotiations, and interview and share the stories of inspiring young advocates. Over the course of my postdoc, I am developing digital storytelling methods to represent the range of media that youth climate movements produce from, satirical videos, to internet memes and social media posts. I am also developing a proposal for my first book project chronicling the historical and contemporary forms of youth climate advocacy while also launching what I am tentatively calling the Global Youth Storytelling Lab to amplify the stories of youth advocates in regions most impacted by climate change and to connect these stories to policymaking institutions. I’m also a scholar activist, and work closely with grassroots climate organizations such as the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective, where I am a Leadership Team and Board Member. I try to make sure that my research is community-oriented and that beyond my academic writing I’m working on knowledge products that are readable and interesting for youth advocates.
I am a music and sports lover. I have played jazz guitar for the last 15 years, dabble in music production, and I’m always looking for good live music to see. I enjoy running, playing sports, and I can almost always be found watching basketball
or ESPN.

Pictured with current and former Leadership Team Members of the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective 

Next to a piece of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the U.N. COP 21 Climate Conference in Paris, France, 2015

February EMS Postdoc Spotlight

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Dr. Erica Barlow, Geosciences

Advised by Dr. Chris House

I’m originally from Sydney, Australia, and moved to State College to start my two-year Postdoc at Penn State in the Fall of 2021. Although moving here was a shift, coming from a big city to a small, central PA town, I feel well and truly settled in and am loving my time here!

I’m a Postdoc in the Geosciences Department, working with Prof. Chris House and the Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures. I look at the characteristics of ancient (~2.4-billion-year-old) fossils to refine our understanding of the evolution and distribution of early life on Earth. My research starts with doing field work – mapping rock units, collecting samples, and documenting the relationship between different rock layers. I then look at very thin slices of the rock samples under a microscope to describe the minerals and textures contained within. Combining the field context and microscopic observations reveals the original environment that the rocks formed in – in this case – a shallow marine environment, somewhat like a coral reef in the modern day. I then use spatially-resolved, in situ techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to delve further into these rocks by studying the major, trace, and rare Earth element abundances and distributions. Characterizing the morphology, chemistry, and environmental setting of these fossils helps inform the search for life elsewhere, in terms of knowing the type of environment in which to look for life and the type of rock that best preserves biological information across large timescales.

Outside of research, my favorite thing to do is spend time in the outdoors. Doesn’t matter the activity, as long as it’s out in nature! Last summer I was fortunate to be able to tag along on Prof. Jenn Macalady’s caving trip in Italy, where researchers are investigating various questions related to sulfur-cycling bacteria living within the caves. It was an amazing experience!

Caption: Abseiling (rappelling) vertically down a muddy hole in Grotta Bella cave, Frasassi

Maybe it’s a bit cliche, but I also love food and lately have had a lot of fun making interesting meals from the Ottolenghi SIMPLE cookbook. If you enjoy cooking, I’d highly recommend checking it out – the meals are diverse, super easy to make, and taste delicious!

Save the Date – EMS Postdoc Research Showcase

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We are excited to announce that PoEMS will be hosting its inaugural EMS Postdoctoral Research Showcase! This is designed to introduce students, faculty, and staff across the College to Postdocs and our work in a relaxed setting, through a series of short talks. This event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 from 1:30-3:30 PM in 112 Walker. Reminders will be sent out weekly in the EMS College Digest.

If you’re interested in presenting, fill out this (non-binding) form by March 1 with a tentative title and short abstract. You will also be prompted to select your preference for a talk format, as we envision having 2 options described in the form.