Melisa Diaz

My research interests are centered around the applications of geochemical techniques towards understanding physical systems and how biology and society interact with them.

My primary research focus is the cryosphere, mainly the Antarctic (Transantarctic Mountains and McMurdo Dry Valleys) and the Arctic (Greenland), where I study the transport, cycling, and alteration of salts, nutrients, and atmospherically derived constituents. The goal is to understand the current and legacy effects of local and global change on resource-limited systems. I also study the intersection of urban geochemistry with environmental justice, social equity, and knowledge co-production. Much of my research involves both fieldwork and analytical lab work, though it also includes some statistical and geochemical modeling.

Education

• PhD (Earth Science): The Ohio State University, 2020