UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences

10/12/2026

We’ve been spending time at GSA Connects 2026 talking with students and fellow geoscientists about what we study, where it can take you, and the questions we’re still working to answer.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences booth to ask questions, share interests, and learn more about our department. We’re always happy to talk Earth, planets, and everything in between.

GeoSociety

Image descriptions:

1) A smiling UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences representative stands beside the department’s booth banner, with colorful displays highlighting research areas including geology, geobiology, geochemistry, geophysics, and planetary science.
2) Conference attendees chat with a representative at the UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences booth, with department brochures and crocheted marine creatures displayed on the table.
3) Students and conference attendees gather around the UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences booth at GSA Connects 2026, browsing department materials and talking with a graduate student behind a blue-covered table.
4) A UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate student speaks with conference attendees with booth materials displayed on the table.
5) Conference attendees browse brochures and speak with representatives at the UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences booth during GSA Connects 2026.
6) A UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate student speaks with a conference attendee carrying a bright yellow University of Iowa tote bag. Crochet marine life and other booth materials are displayed on the table.

09/18/2026

What can a meteorite tell us about the very beginning of our solar system?

New research involving UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences professor Qingzhu Yin and the Yin Lab is helping refine that timeline. By studying samples from the asteroid Ryugu and the Ivuna meteorite, researchers found evidence that their parent bodies formed less than 2 million years after the solar system began taking shape, earlier than the 2.2–3.5 million-year window in which other carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies formed.

These remarkably preserved materials offer a rare glimpse into the earliest generation of planetesimals, the building blocks that would eventually become planets.

Read the full story in College of Letters and Science Magazine about what Ryugu and Ivuna can reveal about the early solar system.

In a new study, a research team used advanced geochemical dating and analysis techniques to reveal that some asteroids and meteorites, such as Ryugu and Ivuna, originate from celestial bodies that formed less than 2 million years after the beginning of the solar system. This coincides with a period....

09/16/2026

Meet our incoming Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate students! 🌎

Today, meet Claire Ackerman, an incoming Ph.D. student from Massachusetts excited to move to the west coast.

"I am originally from coastal Massachusetts! I have spent the last few years in Colorado, and I am so excited to make it all the way to the west coast for this next chapter. I studied Environmental Chemistry during undergrad, and I am looking forward to applying my chemistry background to applied earth science with Dr. CJ Sun in EPS.

I will be researching the behaviors of extreme paleo-weather and paleoclimates of the continental US using novel proxy data and high-resolution climate model simulations. UC Davis offers so many opportunities for field work and collaborations across departments. I am looking forward to learning more geologic field techniques as I begin collecting data of my own."

Image descriptions:
1) A woman holding a camera standing at the top of a mountain with trees below.
2) A blue tile with light blue airbrush and gold text "Why UCD Earth and Planetary Sciences?" and white text "I will be researching the behaviors of extreme paleo-weather and paleoclimates of the continental US. UC Davis offers so many opportunities for field work and collaborations across departments. I am looking forward to learning more geologic field techniques as I begin collecting data of my own.”

09/11/2026

Meet our incoming Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate students! 🌎

Today, meet Zane Warden, an M.S. student excited to conduct impactful research:

"I plan to study interactions between marine invertebrates and microplastics through an interdisciplinary lens that includes coastal ecology, microbiology, and ecotoxicology. I grew up in Vega, Texas and received my undergraduate education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I earned my bachelor’s in applied meteorology but decided to pivot towards a marine science focus in graduate school. I live with my partner Alyx and our two cats Crookshanks and Pumpkin. I enjoy spending time with them, collecting vinyls, reading, watching American football and MotoGP, and gushing about nature!

I chose to join the UC Davis graduate community because I believe it will offer me an excellent graduate education and the means to conduct impactful research that I am passionate about. I became particularly interested in the EPS department after seeing how interdisciplinary the research and instruction topics were across its faculty. While initially doubtful that the department would be a fit for me, networking with some EPS faculty members before applying made me realize that I could certainly pursue my interests here. Additionally, I find value in being part of a department that brings in so many diverse perspectives and subjects under the umbrella of earth sciences. I expect that this will enrich my graduate experience in ways that I may not have been exposed to in other programs.

I’m most looking forward to being a full-time student again and using the research and teaching opportunities ahead of me to positively impact others. After being out of school for over five years and gaining some teaching experience, I now realize how much I enjoy the college environment as both a learner and an educator. As a learner, I'm excited to be able to build knowledge through courses and meaningful research. As an educator, I'm excited to grow as a science communicator and inspire interest in others whether that be for a class I am TA'ing, for undergraduate lab members, or for the general public."

Image descriptions:
1) A headshot of a person with sunglasses and a hat smiling by the sea, and text "Meet our incoming graduate student Zane Warden, M.S. Student."
2) A blue tile image with a light blue airbrush and gold text "Why UCD Earth and Planetary Sciences?" and white text "“I chose to join the UC Davis graduate community because I believe it will offer me an excellent graduate education and the means to conduct impactful research that I am passionate about. I became particularly interested in the EPS department after seeing how interdisciplinary the research and instruction topics were across its faculty."

09/09/2026

What can we learn about protecting water in an arid region?

UC Davis students are in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, as part of AguaEd: Water Stewardship Through Bilingual STEM Education, a partnership between CalTeach/MAST and Eco-Alianza de Loreto.

Now in its third edition, AguaEd brings UC Davis students into local middle school classrooms for hands-on, Spanish-language lessons focused on water conservation, hydrology, environmental health and scientific literacy. Students also take their learning into the field, exploring Loreto’s local geology under the guidance of Susann Pinter and Dr. Nicholas Pinter.

For Loreto students, the program connects science to the environment they know firsthand. For UC Davis students, it offers experience teaching science across borders while engaging with one of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges: understanding and protecting freshwater resources.

Image descriptions:
1) A group of people posing beside a rock wall
2) A group of people climbing a large boulder, viewed from above
3) A group of people gathering beside a lake under a sunny sky
4) A group of people climbing over large boulders
5) A person posing beneath a large rock

09/08/2026

Meet our incoming Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate students!

Jade Wells, an incoming Ph.D. student, is excited to dive into new research questions.

"I'm originally from Arizona, but I spent several years growing up on Maui. Exploring tide pools and snorkeling in Hawai'i is where I first became captivated by marine life and the history of our planet, eventually leading me to pursue a B.S. in Earth and Space Sciences with a minor in Paleobiology at the University of Washington. As an undergraduate, I studied ancient microbial structures called stromatolites to better understand how early life is preserved in the rock record. Outside of research, I enjoy photography, hiking, and spending time outdoors, and I'm excited to explore California's coastline.

Our planet's history and the search for life beyond Earth have always fascinated me. UCD stood out because of its collaborative Earth and Planetary Sciences community and the opportunity to work with Dr. Kathleen Campbell and other faculty on projects that connect Earth's ancient environments with planetary exploration. The department's strengths in geobiology and its interdisciplinary approach make it an exciting place to pursue research at the intersection of Earth history and astrobiology.

I'm looking forward to diving into new research questions, getting involved in fieldwork, and learning from the incredible faculty and students in the department. Graduate school is such a unique opportunity to learn from people with different perspectives, and I'm excited to see where those collaborations lead."

Image descriptions:
1) A headshot of a young woman smiling in front of trees and text "Meet our incoming graduate student Jade Wells, Ph.D. student.
2) A blue tile image with a light blue airbrush and gold text "Why UCD Earth and Planetary Sciences?" and white text "Our planet's history and the search for life beyond Earth have always fascinated me. UCD stood out because of its collaborative Earth and Planetary Sciences community. The department's strengths in geobiology and its interdisciplinary approach make it an exciting place to pursue research at the intersection of Earth history and astrobiology."

09/03/2026

Meet our incoming Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate students! 🌎

Today, meet Sam Randall, an incoming Ph.D. student excited to build and run experiments, and put roots down in Davis.

"I just finished my M.S. in volcanology and geochemistry at Western Washington University, studying a ~6,700-year-old Mount Baker tephra deposit under Kristina Walowski. Before that I got my B.S. in Geoscience and Environmental Studies at Eckerd College, then worked at the USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center. Outside the lab I love to cook, surf, snowboard, play volleyball, read sci-fi, and write indie-folk songs on guitar!

I'll be joining Jim Watkins's lab in experimental petrology, using a computer-controlled cold-seal rapid-quench pressure vessel to experimentally recreate oscillatory zoning in plagioclase, reproducing in the lab the compositional banding that natural crystals record as magma moves through the crust. UC Davis was the clear choice for the strength of its experimental facilities and the chance to work directly with Jim. I'm also very excited to explore all that the gorgeous nearby California landscape has to offer!

Getting hands on with experimental work after several years of mostly analytical and field-based research, along with building and running experiments myself instead of just characterizing natural samples. I'm also looking forward to putting down roots in Davis and building a life here alongside the science."

Image descriptions:
1) A man wearing a hat and backpack stands smiling above a canyon.
2) A blue tile with light blue airbrush and gold text "Why UCD Earth and Planetary Sciences?" and white text "“UC Davis was the clear choice for the strength of its experimental facilities and the chance to work directly with Jim Watkins. I'm also very excited to explore all that the gorgeous nearby California landscape has to offer!I'm looking forward to putting down roots in Davis and building a life here alongside the science.”

09/01/2026

Meet our incoming Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate students! 🌎

Today, meet Cindy Su, an incoming Ph.D. student excited to join the program and explore Caifornia.

"I have studied paleontology since my undergraduate years. My main research focus is the functional morphology of marine vertebrates, and in my free time, I enjoy photography, swimming, and Pokémon!

I chose the EPS department at UC Davis to learn from leading experts in paleontology and to collaborate with brilliant students from diverse scientific backgrounds.

As I start my graduate program, I am most excited to meet everyone, explore this new environment, and head out on field trips across California."

Image descriptions:
1) A woman in reading glasses stands in front of a red and white research poster showing various rocks.
2) A blue tile image with a light blue airbrush and gold text "Why UCD Earth and Planetary Sciences?" and white text "My main research focus is the functional morphology of marine vertebrates. In my free time, I enjoy photography, swimming, and Pokemon! I chose the EPS department at UC Davis to learn from leading experts in paleontology and to collaborate with brilliant students from diverse scientific backgrounds."

08/27/2026

Meet our incoming Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate students! 🌎

Today, meet Alicia Manzo, an incoming Ph.D. student with a passion for exploring the outdoors and understanding what happens beneath our feet.

"I’m a Californian through and through and have always loved spending time outdoors. Some of my passions include birding, hiking, and traveling. I’m always looking for new adventures and opportunities to learn more about the world around me.

My previous research focused on the connections between tectonics, magma storage, and magma transport. I’m interested in understanding how magma moves through the crust and how these processes influence volcanic systems. UCD was a great fit because of its strong petrology and geochemistry community and the opportunity to work with faculty whose research aligns closely with my interests.

I’m most looking forward to developing as a researcher and exploring new questions about magmatic systems. I’m also excited to become part of the EPS community, learn from people working across different areas of Earth and planetary science, and take advantage of the opportunities that come with being at UCD."

Image descriptions:
1) A woman in a blue windbreaker stands beside a river with a mountainous landscape in the background.
2) A blue tile with text "Why UCD Earth and Planetary Sciences? I'm interested in understanding how magma moves through the crust and how these processes influence volcanic systems. UC Davis was a great fit because of its strong petrology and geochemistry community and the opportunity to work with faculty whose research aligns closely with my interests."

08/14/2026

Dr. Goabaone Jackie Ramatlapeng, UC Davis Earth & Planetary Sciences alumna, is leading water chemistry research in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, monitoring water quality to better understand and protect the wetland.

As Botswana’s first female hydrogeochemist, Ramatlapeng studies water quality, climate change and the pressures shaping the delta’s long-term health and resilience. Her work also brings insights from Indigenous and local communities into conversations about how this vital resource can be protected for generations to come.

Growing up in Botswana, Ramatlapeng experienced water scarcity firsthand, contributing to her commitment to understanding and protecting the country’s water resources.

Read more about Ramatlapeng’s work protecting the Okavango Delta below.

Goabaone Jaqueline Ramatlapeng vividly remembers when she would go without water from domestic pipes for days. Growing up in Kopong, a small village in Botswana, Ramatlapeng, her family and those in surrounding villages faced a similar plight: water scarcity. And when the water did flow, it was salt...