ENVS Research

Many undergraduate students engage in research during their degree programs, working on complex and highly interconnected problems, gaining skills to become leaders and entrepreneurs in the real world - field and laboratory opportunities abound! ENVS majors may also complete a Senior Honors Thesis and/or a Distinction in Research.


ENVS undergraduate research opportunities: Jonathan Ajo-Franklin Our lab studies challenging problems relevant to the environment and energy using applied geophysics. • Applied geophysics • Rock physics • Geological carbon storage • Geothermal energy • Hydrogeophysics ja62@rice.edu Carrie Masiello We study the storage and transport dynamics of carbon in soils, sediments, and rivers. • Biogeochemistry • Soil Sustainability • Carbon, Nitrogen, & Water Cycling • Synthetic Biology masiello@rice.edu Undergraduate Research Opportunities Sven Kranz Learn how phytoplankton, the base of the marine food web, responds to environmental change. • Biological Oceanography • Ecophysiology • Biogeochemistry • Marine Carbon Cycles skranz@rice.edu Julia Morgan We combine geomechanics, structural geology, and modeling to understand mountain building, volcano deformation and landslides that occur in marine, terrestrial and planetary systems. • Tectonics • Structural Geology • Volcano Tectonics • Numerical Modeling morganj@rice.edu Sylvia G. Dee Learn how sophisticated computer models can predict Earth’s future climate. • Paleoclimate • Climate Dynamics • Earth System Modeling • Global Change sylvia.dee@rice.edu Sahar Bakhshian We use computer modeling to solve problems associated with energy and the environment. • Environmental monitoring • Carbon Storage • Microfluidics experiments • Computational Simulations • Risk Assessment sahar.bakhshian@rice.edu Cin-Ty Lee We investigate how our planet has evolved with time. • Critical Minerals for Energy Transition • Climate Evolution • Planetary Evolution • Bioacoustics for Ecosystem health ctlee@rice.edu Avantika Gori We combine physics-based models, probability and statistics, and observations to better understand the risk and impacts from extreme weather. • Flood risk and resilience • Tropical cyclones • Climate and Landscape Change avi.gori@rice.edu Volker Rudolf Community ecology, with focus on climate change effects on natural communities. • Behavioral Ecology (incl. canFor more information about any of the resarch groups and specific projects available, please feel free to email faculty directly. For additional information, scan the QR code Honors Research Students majoring in Environmental Science (ENVS) may participate in senior honors thesis research. Students who complete the senior honors thesis are eligible for Distinction in Research and Creative Work, which is granted at commencement and noted in a student’s transcript and diploma. For more information about the Honors Thesis: Dr. Mark Torres (Mark.Torres@rice.edu) Mark Torres We study chemical weathering, organic carbon burial, and microbe-mineral interactions. • Water Quality • Catchment Hydrology • Global Biogeochemical Cycles • Carbon Sequestration mark.torres@rice.edu Brandon Schmandt Seismic signals of natural and mechanical processes of the Earth and environment (rivers, sea ice, etc.) • Seismic imaging • Volcanic hazards • AI & physics-based study of natural and anthropogenic seismic sources coming soon Yizhi Jane Tao Learn how viruses impact the environment • Coral bleaching • Nematodes • Virus infection mechanisms • Function/structure of macromolecular complexes ytao@rice.edu Noemi Vergopolan Terrestrial hydrology, leveraging satellite observations & computational models for high-resolution hydrological prediction • Earth System & Climate Modeling • Computational Hydrology and AI • Droughts and Floods • Water and Food Security noemi.vergopolan@rice.edu J