Highlighting the College Focus: Maya Becker at Scripps College
Maya Becker: A Dedicated Glaciologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Maya Becker, a fifth-year PhD student, is making strides in the field of glaciology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Her research focuses on understanding ice-ocean interactions and their potential evolution in a changing climate.
Maya's typical day as a Scripps student is a blend of academic rigor and personal breaks. She spends her time answering emails, writing and debugging code, and working with various datasets to create a more complete picture of ice-shelf system dynamics. Regular breaks from staring at a screen include attending seminars, grabbing coffee with friends, or taking advantage of Scripps' location and walking on the beach.
Maya's research is inspired by a project to map marks in the seafloor left by icebergs. This interest has led her to study various processes by which Antarctica's largest ice shelves gain and lose mass, such as iceberg calving and refreezing of melted ice. Her current research focuses on changes in the ice shelves and subglacial hydrology of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Maya is advised by Scripps glaciologist Helen Amanda Fricker and has been significantly influenced by mentors like Audrey Meyer, Frank Nitsche, Kirsty Tinto, and Helen. Her parents have also been a source of inspiration throughout her journey.
Maya's future aspirations lie in science policy. She is considering applying for science policy fellowships after graduation, hoping to transition into a science communication or advisory role for climate and sea-level rise policy initiatives or organizations.
Despite the challenges in achieving work-life balance, being "voluntold" for activities that distract from her thesis research, and reconciling her desire to travel with reducing her carbon footprint, Maya finds the camaraderie and support offered by other students and early-career scientists at Scripps and in the polar science community invaluable.
Maya Becker, originally from Miami, Florida, completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory before venturing into the world of polar science. Her journey in glaciology has taken her to Antarctica twice, Greenland once, and Alaska once for fieldwork or glaciology courses.
Maya finds discussing her research with non-scientists and future scientists inspiring and optimistic in the face of climate change. She tries to write an hour a day and keeps herself updated on recent publications in glaciology and related fields.
In conclusion, Maya Becker is a dedicated glaciologist whose work is instrumental in understanding the dynamic interactions between ice sheets and their environment, including glaciers and climate. Her research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography is a significant contribution to the understanding of sea level rise and the impacts of climate change on polar ice masses.
- Maya Becker's research in the field of glaciology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography is not only a significant contribution to the understanding of sea level rise and the impacts of climate change on polar ice masses, but also falls under the broad category of polar science, a field she has come to specialize in through her undergraduate studies and subsequent experiences, including multiple trips to Antarctica, Greenland, and Alaska.
- Outside of her academic pursuits, Maya is considering applying for science policy fellowships after graduation, which falls under the realm of education-and-self-development, as she hopes to transition into a science communication or advisory role for climate and sea-level rise policy initiatives or organizations, using her expertise in polar science to advocate for global awareness and action in response to climate change.
