Stanford University
Showing 3,401-3,420 of 5,084 Results
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Ashton Pihl
Ph.D. Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, admitted Summer 2025
BioI am a second-year PhD Student in the Baker Coastal Lab researching surf-zone circulation generated by short-crested breaking waves. I am interested in studying the along-crest variability in energy dissipation, the unsteady structure associated with injected vertical and horizontal vorticity, and the evolution of vertical vorticity structures linked to the shoreward propagation of bores using laboratory experimental methods and theoretical analysis.
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Mia Maria Pique
Ph.D. Student in Earth and Planetary Sciences, admitted Autumn 2026
BioI grew up outside Chicago and moved west to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. Through NAU’s Interdisciplinary Global Program and Honors College, I earned a Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and a Bachelor of Art in Spanish, with an emphasis in Global Science and Engineering. Studying geology among the landscapes of the American Southwest first inspired me to think deeply about Earth processes and the relationships among geology, communities and the environments in which we live.
My undergraduate education extended far beyond Flagstaff. I lived in Tucumán, Argentina, where I studied geology in Spanish at the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. I then completed an internship at the Instituto Geofísico of Ecuador’s Escuela Politécnica Nacional, where I studied the eruptive behavior of Reventador Volcano and conducted fieldwork in the Amazon Basin. I later continued my research through the University of Queensland’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences in Australia, studying diamonds as a tool to understand mantle behavior. These experiences taught me the importance of understanding science through international, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives.
Before coming to Stanford, I moved to San Francisco and worked in geotechnical engineering, where I applied my geologic background to real-world challenges involving Earth materials and infrastructure.
I am now a Ph.D. student in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Stanford, working with Professor Tiziana Vanorio at the intersection of geology, rock physics, geophysics and engineering. My M.S. research in Professor Vanorio's lab investigated how carbon-rich byproducts from methane pyrolysis can be incorporated into cementitious materials, creating a productive use for an emerging industrial byproduct.
As I develop my Ph.D research, I am interested in expanding my knowledge of rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals, including their occurrence as primary deposits in rocks and minerals, their behavior within mineral structures and their importance to emerging energy technologies. I hope to explore how geology, geophysics and engineering can contribute to the responsible characterization and use of these critical resources. More broadly, I hope to strengthen resource security by reducing dependence on geographically concentrated supply chains.
Beyond my research, I love thinking about how science, mentorship, creativity, communication and people all fit together. I am interested not only in asking, “How do we conduct meaningful and impactful research?” but also, “How do we build better scientists and strong scientific communities? How can we use education and knowledge as tools for a better world? ” I believe scientific progress is strongest when it is interdisciplinary, collaborative, creative and grounded in care for both people and the planet. -
Julia Poel
Ph.D. Student in Education, admitted Autumn 2025
Graduate Program Assistant, GSE Centers and ProgramsBioJulia Grace Marie Poel is a PhD student in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education, specializing in Science, Engineering, and Technology Education. She is also pursuing a cross-area specialization in Learning Sciences and Technology Design. Julia’s research focuses on the intersection of education policy, curriculum studies, and teacher education. She has a specific interest in how the integration of sustainability and multiple knowledge systems can bridge civic and science education.
Before beginning her studies at Stanford, Julia received her MA in Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her BS in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Julia contributed to a variety of projects in K-12 education policy and science education at both institutions. For example, in a collaborative project between the Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College and the Youth Advocacy and Policy Lab at Harvard Law School, Julia had the opportunity to develop a conceptual model for civic education. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Julia designed and facilitated professional learning experiences for K-12 teachers to support them in co-designing and customizing curriculum materials to be transdisciplinary and sustainability-centered. Julia also served as a K-2 science instructor at an elementary school in Harlem, New York, while completing her MA.
Julia is passionate about research and initiatives that aim to create equal opportunities for all students. She believes the intersection of science and civic education presents a critical opportunity to engage students in learning experiences that are relevant to their lives and communities. Julia believes science and civic education can empower students to design solutions that socially, scientifically, and technologically improve the world.
