graduate student since fall 2024

Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences
rthomason@g.ucla.edu
SLICHTER 5877

I have a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Texas at El Paso. My research interests focus on marine microbial ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, and how environmental changes impact marine life. Recently, I worked as an NSF C-CoMP Bridge-to-PhD Fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, using ecosystem models to study how physical and biogeochemical factors influence heterotrophic marine bacteria. I’ve also researched the effects of ocean acidification and eutrophication on shellfish in Massachusetts estuaries.

I’ve presented my work at several symposia and am proud to have received awards like the NSF C-CoMP Bridge-to-PhD Fellowship. I’ve also gained hands-on experience with MATLAB, RStudio, and data analysis during research cruises in the South Pacific and the Sargasso Sea.