Mentoring
Summer 2025 Mentorship
Caltech WAVE Council
This summer, I joined the Caltech WAVE Council, where I had the opportunity to mentor students from diverse cultural backgrounds and research fields in a non-research capacity. I learned about research areas beyond my own, helped students navigate Caltech and their interactions with faculty and peers, and supported them in addressing the difficulties and challenges they faced during their summer research experience.
Wave Research Mentor
This summer, I had the privilege of mentoring Emilia Pelegano-Titmuss through the Caltech WAVE program, alongside my advisor, Joann Stock. Over ten weeks, Emilia developed the first detailed geologic map of Isla Tortuga in the Gulf of California, combining traditional mapping techniques with petrographic and geochemical analyses and ultimately digitizing the map in QGIS. Throughout the project, we also examined the tectonic evolution and volcanism of the Gulf of California, placing Isla Tortuga within its broader geologic context. This work contributes to a chapter of my PhD thesis on the update of the Geology of Isla Tortuga.
Exiting News: Emilia will present her summer research at the GSA national meeting—stay tuned for updates!
Caltech WAVE Council
This summer, I joined the Caltech WAVE Council, where I had the opportunity to mentor students from diverse cultural backgrounds and research fields in a non-research capacity. I learned about research areas beyond my own, helped students navigate Caltech and their interactions with faculty and peers, and supported them in addressing the difficulties and challenges they faced during their summer research experience.
Wave Research Mentor
This summer, I had the privilege of mentoring Emilia Pelegano-Titmuss through the Caltech WAVE program, alongside my advisor, Joann Stock. Over ten weeks, Emilia developed the first detailed geologic map of Isla Tortuga in the Gulf of California, combining traditional mapping techniques with petrographic and geochemical analyses and ultimately digitizing the map in QGIS. Throughout the project, we also examined the tectonic evolution and volcanism of the Gulf of California, placing Isla Tortuga within its broader geologic context. This work contributes to a chapter of my PhD thesis on the update of the Geology of Isla Tortuga.
Exiting News: Emilia will present her summer research at the GSA national meeting—stay tuned for updates!
Summer 2024 Mentorship
During summer 2024, I advised three Caltech undergraduate students through the First-Year Success Institute (FSRI). My mentees, Adoniya Paul, Anna Piland, and Lila Rodriguez-Aceves, collaborated with me on one of my thesis chapters, which focuses on the petrological correlation between Isla Tortuga (Gulf of California) and the sills in the Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California) drilled by the International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 385. During this summer project, my mentees prepared samples for LA-ICPMS analysis, analyzed 43 thin sections under the petrographic microscope, integrated the trace element compositional data with the major element data, and compared the geochemical and mineralogical data from the sills in the Guaymas Basin with the data from Isla Tortuga. At the end of the FSRI program, they gave a 3-minute talk about the project and presented a poster.
During summer 2024, I advised three Caltech undergraduate students through the First-Year Success Institute (FSRI). My mentees, Adoniya Paul, Anna Piland, and Lila Rodriguez-Aceves, collaborated with me on one of my thesis chapters, which focuses on the petrological correlation between Isla Tortuga (Gulf of California) and the sills in the Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California) drilled by the International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 385. During this summer project, my mentees prepared samples for LA-ICPMS analysis, analyzed 43 thin sections under the petrographic microscope, integrated the trace element compositional data with the major element data, and compared the geochemical and mineralogical data from the sills in the Guaymas Basin with the data from Isla Tortuga. At the end of the FSRI program, they gave a 3-minute talk about the project and presented a poster.
FSRI students presenting their poster. From left to right: Lila Rodriguez-Aceves, Anna Piland, and Adoniya Paul.
Teaching at Caltech
Teaching assistant for Fs/Ge016 First Year Earthquake Seminar (Fall 2024)
Professor Joann Stock
This course is a first-year undergraduate seminar that reviews the efforts made in earthquake and volcano forecasting, as well as real-time response to these events. Students will learn about advances in earthquake preparedness in Southern California and volcanic eruption forecasting and hazard mitigation in other regions. The class includes a two-day field trip organized by the teaching assistant (TA).
Professor Joann Stock
This course is a first-year undergraduate seminar that reviews the efforts made in earthquake and volcano forecasting, as well as real-time response to these events. Students will learn about advances in earthquake preparedness in Southern California and volcanic eruption forecasting and hazard mitigation in other regions. The class includes a two-day field trip organized by the teaching assistant (TA).
Teaching assistant for Ge101 Introduction to Geology and Geochemistry (Fall 2023)
Professor Claire Bucholz
An introductory course covering the physical and chemical processes that have shaped Earth as a planet over geological time, as well as the observable products of these processes—rock materials, minerals, and landforms. The course included an overnight field trip and a weekly laboratory section focused on the identification of rocks and minerals and the interpretation of topographic and geological maps. The TAs prepared and led the laboratory sections and organized the field trip.
Professor Claire Bucholz
An introductory course covering the physical and chemical processes that have shaped Earth as a planet over geological time, as well as the observable products of these processes—rock materials, minerals, and landforms. The course included an overnight field trip and a weekly laboratory section focused on the identification of rocks and minerals and the interpretation of topographic and geological maps. The TAs prepared and led the laboratory sections and organized the field trip.
Teaching assistant for Ge106 Introduction to Structural Geology (Winter 2023)
Professor Jonathan Nurse
This course provided an introduction to structural geology, focusing on the analysis and interpretation of geologic structures such as folds, faults, and rock fabrics. Students learned to construct true-scale geologic cross-sections, identify structural features in the field, and plot structural orientation data using stereonet diagrams. The curriculum covered the geometric relationships between different types of faults and stress orientations, as well as the principles of strain and deformation, including the application of the strain ellipsoid and Mohr-Coulomb theory. The class included weekly laboratory sessions and field exercises designed to reinforce key concepts and practical skills in structural geology. During the course, we conducted two field trips that were organized by the TA.
Professor Jonathan Nurse
This course provided an introduction to structural geology, focusing on the analysis and interpretation of geologic structures such as folds, faults, and rock fabrics. Students learned to construct true-scale geologic cross-sections, identify structural features in the field, and plot structural orientation data using stereonet diagrams. The curriculum covered the geometric relationships between different types of faults and stress orientations, as well as the principles of strain and deformation, including the application of the strain ellipsoid and Mohr-Coulomb theory. The class included weekly laboratory sessions and field exercises designed to reinforce key concepts and practical skills in structural geology. During the course, we conducted two field trips that were organized by the TA.
Teaching at the University of Sonora
Teaching assistant for Structural Geology
Professor Jesús Vidal Solano
This course is typically offered to third-year undergraduate students (sixth semester of the program). It covers the different types of geological structures and their origins. During the course, students learn to use a compass to measure bedding (strike and dip) and plane and line orientations (rake, pitch, and plunge), as well as how to project these measurements onto a stereonet and interpret the data. The course includes a laboratory component focused on constructing geological maps, cross-sections, and plotting data and calculations on a stereonet (both by hand and using software). Additionally, the course includes a two-day field trip to collect data for analysis in a final class assignment.
Teaching assistant for Igneous Petrology
Professor Jesús Vidal Solano
This course is typically offered to third-year undergraduate students (fifth semester of the program). It covers the different types of igneous rocks, their emplacement environments, geochemical characterization, magmatic differentiation, and common alteration processes. The course includes a laboratory component focused on hand sample and petrographic descriptions of igneous rocks. The course also included a three-day field trip to recognize igneous rock in the field.
Professor Jesús Vidal Solano
This course is typically offered to third-year undergraduate students (sixth semester of the program). It covers the different types of geological structures and their origins. During the course, students learn to use a compass to measure bedding (strike and dip) and plane and line orientations (rake, pitch, and plunge), as well as how to project these measurements onto a stereonet and interpret the data. The course includes a laboratory component focused on constructing geological maps, cross-sections, and plotting data and calculations on a stereonet (both by hand and using software). Additionally, the course includes a two-day field trip to collect data for analysis in a final class assignment.
Teaching assistant for Igneous Petrology
Professor Jesús Vidal Solano
This course is typically offered to third-year undergraduate students (fifth semester of the program). It covers the different types of igneous rocks, their emplacement environments, geochemical characterization, magmatic differentiation, and common alteration processes. The course includes a laboratory component focused on hand sample and petrographic descriptions of igneous rocks. The course also included a three-day field trip to recognize igneous rock in the field.
