Lab Members
Postdoctoral Scholar
UPDATE: Brittany is now a TT assistant professor at George Mason University (2022)
Brittany is a NOAA Climate & Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow who is working on trace element/Ca paleoproxy development through the geochemical characterization of modern planktic foraminifers and their living environments throughout the Northern California Current region. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where her dissertation focused on the investigation of ancient planktic foraminifera, both as geochemical archives of and responders to abrupt climate change events associated with global carbon cycle perturbations (e.g., the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum). In general, Brittany’s research interests lie in exploring the dynamic interplay between ocean-climate change and ecological sensitivity, reconstructing marine systems in deep time, and working to improve and further develop our fundamental understanding of foraminiferal-based paleoproxies and how they are influenced by vital effects and secondary mechanisms (e.g., sediment mixing, diagenesis). You can read more about her past and current research at brittanynhupp.com.
Brittany is a NOAA Climate & Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow who is working on trace element/Ca paleoproxy development through the geochemical characterization of modern planktic foraminifers and their living environments throughout the Northern California Current region. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where her dissertation focused on the investigation of ancient planktic foraminifera, both as geochemical archives of and responders to abrupt climate change events associated with global carbon cycle perturbations (e.g., the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum). In general, Brittany’s research interests lie in exploring the dynamic interplay between ocean-climate change and ecological sensitivity, reconstructing marine systems in deep time, and working to improve and further develop our fundamental understanding of foraminiferal-based paleoproxies and how they are influenced by vital effects and secondary mechanisms (e.g., sediment mixing, diagenesis). You can read more about her past and current research at brittanynhupp.com.
Graduate Students
Kelsey Lane
She is currently a PhD student in the OSU CEOAS Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry group studying foraminifera genetics and microbiome associations AND she'll expand her master's project to include additional samples. Kelsey earned an MS in the Marine Resources Management program in September 2020. She studyied changes in foraminifera assemblages off the Oregon coast using an archive of plankton tow material that spans the last decade (including samples from the last 2 marine heat waves). Her MS research is currently in review for publication.
Prior to grad school, Kelsey spent several years working as an Assistant Scientist at Sea Education Association (SEA Semester) where she taught students how to conduct scientific sampling aboard the tall ship the Corwith Cramer.
Photo details: Kelsey and Jenn nearly bumped into this huge spider hiking on Green Island, Taiwan. Kelsey for scale.
She is currently a PhD student in the OSU CEOAS Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry group studying foraminifera genetics and microbiome associations AND she'll expand her master's project to include additional samples. Kelsey earned an MS in the Marine Resources Management program in September 2020. She studyied changes in foraminifera assemblages off the Oregon coast using an archive of plankton tow material that spans the last decade (including samples from the last 2 marine heat waves). Her MS research is currently in review for publication.
Prior to grad school, Kelsey spent several years working as an Assistant Scientist at Sea Education Association (SEA Semester) where she taught students how to conduct scientific sampling aboard the tall ship the Corwith Cramer.
Photo details: Kelsey and Jenn nearly bumped into this huge spider hiking on Green Island, Taiwan. Kelsey for scale.
Grace Meyer:
Grace is currently an MS student in the Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry group OSU. She is a recent OSU Ocean Sciences major grad from the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. She participated in an URSA Engage project in 2018 and transitioned to a Laboratory Research Assistant. Grace has learned how to speciate forams, clean individual and pooled samples, and use the laser..
In 2019, Grace received an OSU REU award and learned to use our new IRMS (with a specially designed Kiel device for analyzing the smallest of small forams) as part of her project. She's expanding this project for her MS degree using new instrument to analyze individual forams from coastal Oregon using the laser and IRMS for her MS project.
Photo details: Grace picking forams during the summer 2018
Grace is currently an MS student in the Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry group OSU. She is a recent OSU Ocean Sciences major grad from the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. She participated in an URSA Engage project in 2018 and transitioned to a Laboratory Research Assistant. Grace has learned how to speciate forams, clean individual and pooled samples, and use the laser..
In 2019, Grace received an OSU REU award and learned to use our new IRMS (with a specially designed Kiel device for analyzing the smallest of small forams) as part of her project. She's expanding this project for her MS degree using new instrument to analyze individual forams from coastal Oregon using the laser and IRMS for her MS project.
Photo details: Grace picking forams during the summer 2018
Undergraduate Students
Faith Shell - Faith is an undergraduate Ocean Sciences major who has nearly 3 years experience working in my lab as a lab assistant extraordinaire. She has helped pick samples from plankton tows, sailed on cruises, cleaned forams for analyses, and helped with our MicroCT 3D foram project.
Grace Holmes: Grace is an undergraduate Ocean Sciences major who began working in the Foraminarium in the Fall 2021. Grace is currently processing samples from the San Pedro Basin for an undergraduate honors thesis. She is also an art-science scholar fellow and will turn results from her research project into art!
Grace Holmes: Grace is an undergraduate Ocean Sciences major who began working in the Foraminarium in the Fall 2021. Grace is currently processing samples from the San Pedro Basin for an undergraduate honors thesis. She is also an art-science scholar fellow and will turn results from her research project into art!
Former Graduate Students:
Theresa Fritz-Enders earned her PhD in November 2021 in OEB (Ocean, Ecology and Biogeochemistry) studying foraminifera as recorders of oceanographic conditions in the modern ocean and through the last glacial maximum with a focus on the record of organic matter export, which is critical to understanding changes in atmospheric CO2 and carbon burial. Theresa also has a master's degree from San Francisco State where she worked with Dr. Petra Dekens. Her master's research, Application of individual foraminifera Mg/Ca and d18O analyses for paleoceanographic reconstructions in active depositional environments, is published in the journal Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology.
Photo details: Theresa at the gazebo overlook at Sleeping Beauty Rock, Green Island, Taiwan
Theresa Fritz-Enders earned her PhD in November 2021 in OEB (Ocean, Ecology and Biogeochemistry) studying foraminifera as recorders of oceanographic conditions in the modern ocean and through the last glacial maximum with a focus on the record of organic matter export, which is critical to understanding changes in atmospheric CO2 and carbon burial. Theresa also has a master's degree from San Francisco State where she worked with Dr. Petra Dekens. Her master's research, Application of individual foraminifera Mg/Ca and d18O analyses for paleoceanographic reconstructions in active depositional environments, is published in the journal Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology.
Photo details: Theresa at the gazebo overlook at Sleeping Beauty Rock, Green Island, Taiwan
Former Undergraduate Students:
Jim Kelly, Lab research assistant, James helped prep and process forams for microCT analysis to understand changes in shell morphology with increased water depth.
Julia Fontana, Laboratory Research Assistant, October 2017 to April 2019. Julia is a CEOAS Ocean Sciences major who is currently overwintering in Antarctica with Dr. Kim Bernard's research group. Learn more about their research here on Dr. Bernard's blog. Julia is currently in graduate school at the University of Maine.
Brenna McBride, Laboratory Research Assistant, October 2017 to June 2018. Brenna is a CEOAS Geology major and is currently working in the College of Forestry at OSU
Clay Clarkson, 2018 Summer REU Student. Clay recently graduated from Texas A&M, Corpus Christi with a BS in Biology. He is currently a graduate student studying Marine Biology at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi.
Ellie Davidson, 2018 Summer REU Student. Ellie recently graduated from Cal State Sacramento with a BS in Geology
Michael Felix, URSA Engage Participant, January 2018 – June 2018
Jim Kelly, Lab research assistant, James helped prep and process forams for microCT analysis to understand changes in shell morphology with increased water depth.
Julia Fontana, Laboratory Research Assistant, October 2017 to April 2019. Julia is a CEOAS Ocean Sciences major who is currently overwintering in Antarctica with Dr. Kim Bernard's research group. Learn more about their research here on Dr. Bernard's blog. Julia is currently in graduate school at the University of Maine.
Brenna McBride, Laboratory Research Assistant, October 2017 to June 2018. Brenna is a CEOAS Geology major and is currently working in the College of Forestry at OSU
Clay Clarkson, 2018 Summer REU Student. Clay recently graduated from Texas A&M, Corpus Christi with a BS in Biology. He is currently a graduate student studying Marine Biology at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi.
Ellie Davidson, 2018 Summer REU Student. Ellie recently graduated from Cal State Sacramento with a BS in Geology
Michael Felix, URSA Engage Participant, January 2018 – June 2018
Lab mascots: Daisy May and Beau Diggity Dog
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About Lab PI Jennifer Fehrenbacher:
I'm an Assistant Professor of Tracer Oceanography at Oregon State University in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. After earning a BS degree in Geology at Northern Illinois University I spent several years working as a Scientific Assistant at Argonne National Laboratory. I left science for a few years and worked as an Internet Consultant (eCommerce). I returned to graduate school after the dot-com field collapsed. In graduate school, my research at the University of Chicago focused on paleoceanography applications using fossil specimens of planktic forams.. I completed post-doc research at the University of California, Davis between 2011 and 2015.. During my time at the U of California, Davis I participated in and co-led several field seasons culturing living foraminifera. I also was responsible for running the laser ablation system and developing the laser ablation protocols for the UCD Spero lab group and collaborators. My primary research interests include present and past climate change, biomineralization processes, and paleo-proxy development and application.
Email: jennifer dot fehrenbacher at oregonstate dot edu
Connect on twitter: @DeepSeaDrifter
I'm an Assistant Professor of Tracer Oceanography at Oregon State University in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. After earning a BS degree in Geology at Northern Illinois University I spent several years working as a Scientific Assistant at Argonne National Laboratory. I left science for a few years and worked as an Internet Consultant (eCommerce). I returned to graduate school after the dot-com field collapsed. In graduate school, my research at the University of Chicago focused on paleoceanography applications using fossil specimens of planktic forams.. I completed post-doc research at the University of California, Davis between 2011 and 2015.. During my time at the U of California, Davis I participated in and co-led several field seasons culturing living foraminifera. I also was responsible for running the laser ablation system and developing the laser ablation protocols for the UCD Spero lab group and collaborators. My primary research interests include present and past climate change, biomineralization processes, and paleo-proxy development and application.
Email: jennifer dot fehrenbacher at oregonstate dot edu
Connect on twitter: @DeepSeaDrifter
