Unveiling the Origin of Our Planet

I joined Rutgers University in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences as an Assitant Professor from January 2025.

I characterize myself as a geophysicist / planetary scientist, with a focus on the origin and evolution of terrestrial planets. My research centers around a fundamental question:

"How did Earth begin to provide an environment suitable to life?" 

My recent emphasis has been on the period between planetesimal formation and Giant-impact induced magma oceans. Despite the shortness of this period compared to the age of Earth, this period saw multiple critical events, including core formation, large-scale mantle melting and re-solidification, the generation of the first crust, and the formation of primitive atmosphere and oceans. My research group explores these processes through theoretical calculations and numerical modeling. Please feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in joining our group!

Spring 2025 Teaching

16:460:506:01: Structure and Formation of Terrestrial Planets

The solid Earth has an internal structure that consists of well-organized lithological and chemical parts that have been identified by geochemical, seismological, and petrological observations. Many of the chemical and physical characteristics of the Earth’s interior are also expected to exist within other terrestrial planets. This course will review the current understanding of planetary formation, planetary compositions, processes shaping planetary interiors and observations reflecting their structure, and hypotheses of planetary evolution in the Solar System. This course is open to undergraduate students and graduate students. If you have not completed the course prerequisites, please contact me and Professor Bermingham.