Dartmouth JSEP Fellows

Derek Pickell is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. student in the Glaciology Ground within the Earth Science (EARS) graduate program at Dartmouth. Derek designs polar-capable instruments that are used to study ice flow, accumulation and other glacial processes. This is his first year as a JSEP fellow. 

Derek Pickell is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and third-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Bob Hawley’s Glaciology Group within Dartmouth’s Department of Earth Sciences. Before beginning his Ph.D., Derek earned a B.A. in Physics from Pomona College. His current research combines designing novel, cutting-edge technology that can survive polar winters, and designing techniques to better quantify and track changing glacial and ice sheet conditions. Following a year of launching stratospheric balloons in the Caribbean, Derek’s interests turned to cooler environments and he began working in Greenland as a science technician at Summit Station, at the high point of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Since then, Derek has pursued various opportunities to live and work in remote parts of Greenland, while seeking to understand how snow accumulation, ice flow and other surface processes are evolving. Derek’s favorite modes of transportation are by ski and by train, and he loves exploring New Hampshire with his 35mm camera.

Sarah Cuprewich (she/her) is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and PhD student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society (EEES) graduate program at Dartmouth. She studies mycorrhizal fungi spore traits and dispersal in the Chaudhary Lab. This is her first year working with JSEP and will be her first Arctic experience.

Sarah Cuprewich is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and first year PhD student working with Dr. Bala Chaudhary in the Dartmouth EEES graduate program. She earned her MS degree in forest ecology from Purdue University and BS degree in environmental science from the University of Vermont. Sarah’s research centers on mycorrhizal fungi ecology, particularly mycorrhizal spore traits and dispersal mechanisms. She is interested in mapping spore dispersal networks at a US-continental scale for mycorrhizal taxa that are dispersed via air and/or small mammal vectors. Connecting spore traits to certain functions, like protection from UV radiation or desiccation, is also a research goal of hers. Sarah is broadly interested in disturbance ecology, providing equitable fieldwork/laboratory opportunities to undergraduates, and training her dog Marla to hunt for truffles. She enjoys reading, cooking and eating soup, and practicing yoga. 

Joseph D. T. Savage (He/They) is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and a PhD Student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society (EEES) program at Dartmouth. Joseph studies the ecology of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States. This is his first year as a part of JSEP. 

Joseph Savage is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and a PhD Student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society (EEES) program at Dartmouth. Joseph is a 2nd year student in the Applied Hydroclimatology Group, working with Jonathan Winter to study the ecology of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States in response to climate change. Before starting his PhD, Joseph earned a B.A. in Ecology and Computational Biology from Colby College. Joseph was drawn to study Lyme disease through his interests in community ecology and theoretical ecology, and the highly complex dynamics that drive the presence of this disease. Joseph has not been to the arctic, but he does enjoy all kinds of weather and climates, and is looking forward to a new environment. When he isn’t working, Joseph can be found hiking, biking, brewing tasty beverages, and chopping wood. 

Bailey Nordin (she/her) is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and masters student in the Department of Earth Sciences (EARS) at Dartmouth. Bailey studies the history of changing permafrost landscapes in the Canadian Arctic through the application of multiple geochemical and geochronological methods across a range of timescales. This is her first year as a JSEP fellow. 

Bailey Nordin is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and a 1st year masters student in the Department of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth. She is co-advised and works with both Justin Strauss’ Earth History and Tectonics group and Marisa Palucis’ Earth Surface Processes group. Her work generally focuses on linking past changes in the climate, glacial history, and tectonics of polar environments through the combination of geochronometers, ranging from the decadal to million-year scale. Her current research focuses on the effects of past climate on landscape evolution across an Arctic permafrost catchment in the Northern Richardson Mountains of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Before turning to the study of changing polar landscapes in graduate school, she spent a year as an atmospheric science technician at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. In addition to her experience studying the impacts of climate change in remote, polar environments, Bailey has spent a great deal of time cultivating other isolation-based hobbies such as skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and banjo playing.

Pooja Panwar (she/her) is a JSEP Graduate Fellow and PhD student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society (EEES) graduate program at Dartmouth. Pooja studies bird communities in New England in Ayres Lab. This is her first year as a JSEP student.

Pooja Panwar is a JESP Graduate Fellow and a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society (EEES) program at Dartmouth College. She earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering in India and her MS in grassland bird ecology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA. Pooja is broadly interested in understanding factors influencing the composition of ecological communities and how climate change, habitat destruction, and degradation will affect these communities. Her current research focuses on factors affecting the diversity of bird communities in the forests of New England. She integrates ecological field methods with novel sound recording technology to collect data on bird communities in the forests. Hailing from a subtropical country, she is excited for her first trip to polar regions. When not working, Pooja can be found hiking, painting, watching birds, and recording bird songs.