Highlighting Scripps College: Alyssa Griffin's Journey
Alyssa Griffin, a PhD student at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), is making waves in the field of marine chemistry and geochemistry. Her research focuses on the impact of ocean acidification on coral reefs, a global, complex issue that demands attention to fully understand its effects on the planet.
Griffin's passion for geochemistry stems from its scope within geologic studies. She grew up on the East Coast and attended Temple University, where she received bachelor's degrees in geology and comparative religion, and a master's degree in geology. It was during her time at Temple that Griffin fell in love with geochemistry, drawn to the immense time and spatial scales involved.
Griffin's research aims to better manage and protect coral reef ecosystems by understanding how much and how quickly coral reef sediments will dissolve under current and future ocean conditions. She spends her typical day running experiments in the lab, analyzing data, helping labmates, teaching, reading papers, and writing.
Griffin is motivated as a scientist by the possibility of contributing solutions to relevant issues, such as ocean acidification. She hopes to serve as an example to others who are not well represented in the geosciences. To this end, she is one of Scripps Oceanography's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fellows, organizing events to create a more inclusive and diverse environment.
Griffin chose to attend UC San Diego for the opportunity to work with her advisor, Dr. Andreas Andersson, and for its access to resources and scientific productivity. In the future, she aims to conduct her research within an academic institution to generate public interest in science, facilitate public discussion, and motivate future scientists.
Griffin finds the most rewarding part of her research in being able to ask "Why?" and navigating the path to an answer. She finds work-life balance challenging due to the demands of a PhD program taking time away from family and friends. However, she credits her undergraduate institution, Temple University, for helping her become a better scientist and person.
Griffin's future plans include communicating her work to the public in a concise and accessible manner. She hopes to continue performing geochemical research of anthropogenically-driven changes in Earth's processes in the future. Her research is a testament to the power of curiosity and the importance of asking questions, as she navigates the complex world of ocean acidification and its effects on coral reefs.
