Current Members
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Aiyana Vazquez Ochoa
Sophomore Early Research Intern
Aiyanna is a sophomore major in Geosciences and minor in Environmental Studies. As a Sophomore Early Research Intern Aiyanna is working on preliminary Ar-Ar dating of schists in the Nashoba Terrane and NYC. Aiyana is working with Jackie Matthes at the Harvard Forest studying the effects of hemlock decline on soil chemistry.
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Katherine Morin
Undergraduate Researcher
Katherine is a junior geology and math double major. Her project focuses on elucidating the pressure-temperature evolution of garnet-kyanite migmatites in NYC. She is also deeply interested in astronomy, space exploration, and broadening participation in STEM.
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Emlynn Merrill
Undergraduate Researcher
Emlynn is a sophomore geology major. She is working on refining XRF methodology, and assisting in modeling the P–T evolution of the Manhattan Prong. She is excited to explore the major!
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Izzy Brunet
Research Assistant
As a First-Year Apprentice, Sophomore Early Research Intern, and Research Assistant Izzy has assisted in all manner of sample prep, field work, and petrographic analysis of rocks from Central MA and NYC. She will be using garnet petrochronology to investigate the timing of metamorphism in the Manhattan formation for her upcoming thesis!
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Scout Painter
Scout is a junior Geosciences major and Chemistry minor with an interest in secondary STEM education. She is currently working on a project employing trace element geochemistry to constrain the tectonic history of Rocky Ledge and creating field guides for local geology trips. Scout is from California and hates spending time outdoors!
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Josie
Josie is the world’s best at sniffing out outcrops. Excels at running, jumping, sniffing and playing!
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Cam
Cam’s the new kid on the block! She’s still learning the geologic ropes, but has yet to meet an outcrop she doesn’t want to eat!
Former Members
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Jannitta Yao
Post-Bac Researcher
During her time in the Castro Lab, Jannitta worked to unravel the pressure-temperature history of enigmatic kyanite-bearing migmatites in Central Massachusetts. She has now started a PhD at Dartmouth College. Congrats!
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Eliza Zizka
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Eliza worked on the metamorphic history of the Manhattan and Hartland schists in Central Park, NYC in an effort to uncover the tectonic nature of Cameron’s Line. They graduated in spring of 2022 as a dual Geoscience and Math(!) major. They are now an Assistant Park Ranger at Shenandoah National Park!