Discourse Highlights: An Exchange with Gemma M. Sahwell in the Realm of Research
Gemma Sahwell, a PhD candidate in the Geosciences department at Princeton University, is making waves in the scientific community with her interdisciplinary research that combines geosciences and environmental storytelling. Sahwell is a member of both the Blue Lab and the Higgins Research Laboratory, where her work focuses on evaluating the efficacy of shallow-water carbonate rocks as archives of seawater chemistry through geologic history.
One of Sahwell's most intriguing findings came from a fossil coral she collected as part of a United States Geological Survey (USGS) expedition to study radiation leftover in the landscape after the US government detonated 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands during the cold war.
Sahwell's interest in her research topic was sparked after working as a research assistant in the department of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Her work in the Blue Lab began after discussing the concept of archives with Professor Allison Carruth, who encouraged Sahwell to think more deeply about the archives in her project.
Sahwell's research aims to track changes in solid earth and climate processes through time, providing insights into Earth's future in the face of natural and anthropogenic changes. In her work, she builds elements of environmental storytelling into her scientific work by tracking the provenance of some of her fossil coral samples. This approach allows her to communicate complex environmental issues more effectively to diverse audiences.
For students interested in pursuing interdisciplinary research, Sahwell advises building a support network and not being afraid of changing research plans. She also emphasises the importance of perseverance in earth science research.
Sahwell's work and interdisciplinary passions were recently discussed in an interview with Rebecca Cho, who aspires to explore multifaceted interests in geosciences and environmental justice. If more detailed sources or specific publications by Sahwell are available, further analysis can be conducted to understand how her work integrates these fields and the lessons learned from it.
Interested readers can explore Sahwell's research in the Blue Lab and Higgins Research Laboratory to gain a deeper understanding of her work and its impact on the field of geosciences.
- Gemma Sahwell, during her tenure as a research assistant in the department of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, developed an interest in environmental storytelling that led her to incorporate such elements into her junior paper focusing on climate-change and environmental-science, particularly in her work with fossil coral samples.
- As part of her ongoing research in the Blue Lab and Higgins Research Laboratory at Princeton University, Sahwell is dedicated to learning more about the role of shallow-water carbonate rocks as archives of seawater chemistry history, with the ultimate goal of providing valuable insights about Earth's climate and providing an educational resource for future generations.
- Inspired by her interdisciplinary research in geosciences, Sahwell encourages students interested in education and self-development to pursue their passions, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, perseverance, and adapting research plans in the ever-evolving field of science, particularly as it pertains to climate-change and the environment.
