Dr. Allison Jacobel, Assistant Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences

Spanning a broad arc of climate system studies, my research projects to date have examined the ontogeny of modern corals, investigated tropical hydroclimate dynamics, assessed the controls on paleo productivity and deep-ocean carbon sequestration, and explored the origin of abrupt climate change events. All of these the topics share three features: they 1) further our investigation of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system, 2) employ novel biogeochemical proxies and techniques, and 3) help improve predictions of future climate change. The scientific questions that I find most compelling go beyond reconstructing paleoclimate; they elucidate the underlying drivers and mechanisms of change in the climate system.

My approach to Earth and climate science is grounded in using the chemical composition of microfossils, sediments, and organic biomarkers to reconstruct environmental conditions and processes. Specifically, I use radiogenic (U, Th, and Pa) and stable isotopes (O, C, and N), trace element ratios (e.g., Mg/Ca), elemental abundances, foraminifera assemblages, and alkenone biomarkers to reconstruct ocean properties including temperature, salinity, circulation patterns, primary productivity, carbon storage, and oxygen concentrations.

In my free time I enjoy cycling, photography, and spending time with my dog Freya.

B.A. Macalester College 2011 | M.A. Columbia University 2013 | Ph.D. Columbia University 2017 | Voss Postdoctoral Fellow Brown University 2018-2020

Current Members of the FOR@M

Ella Powers ‘27 (Research Assistant + Summer RA)

Ella Powers is a sophomore Environmental Studies and ECSC joint major from Hamden, CT. In the FOR@M, she is working on a multicore from the Iceland Basin (CE23011). By analyzing the oxygen isotopes of the polar foraminifera species Globigerina bulloides she plans to create a high-resolution climate reconstruction spanning the last glacial cycle. Ella is interested in international environmental policy related to our oceans and working with all stakeholders to implement sustainable solutions. In her free time, Ella enjoys spending time outdoors, listening to music, and making art, both edible and nonedible!

Owen Ou ‘29 (Research Assistant)

Owen Ou is a first-year student from China with a tremendous interest in ECSC. After taking his first ECSC course, Earth’s Ocean and Coastlines with Professor Jacobel, he became fascinated with uncovering the planet’s many secrets, especially the ones hidden underwater. In the FOR@M, he is organizing, freeze drying, and 'washing’ sediments in preparation for micropaleontological analyses of benthic foraminifera (which are much smaller than they sound). When he’s not studying the Earth, he’s busy playing on it—snowboarding, hiking, camping, or scuba diving—usually while trying to explain thermoclines to whoever is nearby.

Sanza Parzybok ‘28.5 (Research Assistant)

Sanza Parzybok is a sophomore at Middlebury and a Biology & ECSC joint major with a Spanish minor. She is interested in sustainability, genetics, ocean acidification, science education, and digging deeper into climate solutions that can benefit the entire globe. She is starting with FOR@M as a research assistant, processing and organizing incredibly old sediment samples from the sea floor. She is excited to dig deeper into deep ocean carbon-oxygen dynamics, benthic biodiversity, and Earth’s glacial-interglacial cycles. When she is not working in the lab, she can be found creating art, studying Spanish & ASL, or gazing at trees for far too long.

Past Members of the FOR@M

Hope Jerris ‘25.5 (Research Assistant)

Yazmin Falero (Research assistant at CU Boulder)

Ramón Chavarria (Research assistant at CU Boulder)

Maya Millner ‘26.5 (Summer Research Assistant)

Anne Thompson ‘26.5 (Summer Research Assistant)

Sam Millay ‘26 (Research Assistant)

Lake Willett ‘25.5 (Research Assistant)

Piper Harring ‘25 (Independent Study)

Ashley Rodriguez ‘25 (Research Assistant & SiTrAC Scientific Party)

Elle Thompson ‘25 (Research Assistant)

Theresa Barth ‘24 (Research Assistant)

Molly Klingner ‘24 (Independent Study)

Lily Applebaum ‘23.5 (Research Assistant)

Amanda Manoogian ‘23.5 (Research Assistant)

Sam Messina ‘23.5 (Senior Thesis)

Hugh Easton ‘23 (Research Assistant + Summer Research Assistant)

Kyra McClean ‘23 (Senior Thesis)

Raffi Najarian ‘23 (Senior Thesis)

Shane Lusk ‘22 (Senior Thesis)

Rachel Nahirny ‘21.5 (Senior Thesis)