Bañuelas, David

David is a first-generation college graduate with indigenous and Hispanic roots. His early experiences in National Parks led him to pursue a PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine. As a Presidential Sustainability Solutions Fellow at USC, David will incorporate metagenomic data to enhance models predicting sea level rise impacts in Southern California. To accomplish his research goals, he will use an interdisciplinary approach combining biology and engineering, co-advised by Felipe de Barros and Cameron Thrash.
E-mail: dbanuela@usc.edu

Bei, Qicheng

E-mail: qbei@usc.edu

Buck-Wiese, Hagen

My research focuses on marine carbon cycling and the question: Why does some carbon become sequestered in the ocean? With a background in ecology and microbiology, I seek to understand the molecular properties that render certain compounds inaccessible to marine bacteria. In particular, my research focuses on carbohydrates and I created analytical tools for identifying and quantifying marine carbohydrates during my PhD. Here at USC, I am developing models of marine carbohydrate degradation to understand the ecological reasons for carbohydrate persistence and their potential to capture carbon in the ocean.

Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hagen-Buck-Wiese

Email: buckwies@usc.edu

Chuang, Ying-Chih (Ella)

E-mail: chuangyi@usc.edu

Day, Thomas

Thomas is interested in how emergent biological phenomena can be driven by simple physical considerations. He studies the formation of spatially differentiated marine bacterial aggregates. He received his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College, where he ran Cross Country and Track & Field. He then attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned his PhD in Physics in the spring of 2023. In his free time, Thomas enjoys road biking, camping, and playing music.
Website: https://thomas-c-day.github.io/
E-mail: daythoma@usc.edu

Devaux, Alexander

E-mail: devaux@usc.edu

Duffin, Paige

E-mail: pduffin@usc.edu

Evans, Kate

E-mail: evansk@usc.edu

James, Chase

E-mail: cjames80@usc.edu

Landry, Zach

E-mail: zlandry@usc.edu

Li, Ruiqi

E-mail: liruiqi@usc.edu

Lindback, Morgan

E-mail: lindback@usc.edu

Osorio, Daniela

E-mail: dosorior@usc.edu

Pan, Francis

E-mail: tienchip@usc.edu

Reynolds, Ryan

E-mail: ryanreyn@usc.edu

Sacks, Josh

E-mail: sacksj@usc.edu

Staeubli, Melanie

I am a microbial ecologist with a background in quantitative modeling, who is interested in deciphering the eco-evolutionary drivers of microbial community dynamics and implications thereof for ecosystem functioning. During my PhD, I built a classifier to predict bacterial growth states in microbial communities using metatranscriptomic signatures of single-copy marker genes. My current research aims to measure, model and predict marine phytoplankton traits and adaptation in consideration of phycosphere interactions, with a focus on potential benefits for phytoplankton under environmental stress. This research will improve our understanding of phytoplankton dynamics under anticipated changes in climate and will increase our ability to accurately model global biogeochemical cycles.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Kd0blSkAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0762-2593
Email: staubli@usc.edu

Williams, Nathan

During my PhD at University of Technology Sydney (2019-2022), I used molecular techniques to investigate microbial hazards in coastal environments. I have joined the Fuhrman lab in August 2023, and my research interests have moved beyond water quality, and I am now interested in using metagenomics to facilitate a better understanding of the distribution of marine microbes, why they are where they are, and to better understand the roles they play in major global biogeochemical cycles.
Website: https://www.nathanlrwilliams.com/
E-mail:nathanwi@usc.edu