I’m Deepa Dwyer!

I was born and raised in India; my family moved to the USA when I was about 10 years old. For most of my life, I have been interested in the sciences, though the specific topics have shifted between Physics, Astrophysics and now oceanography. My current research trajectory was inspired by my undergraduate research work with Dr. Stefanie Brachfeld at Montclair State University, who introduced me to working with sediments from Antarctica to develop a Holocene chronology using radiocarbon and paleomagnetism. My current work utilized sediment cores retrieved by the IODP Exp. 341 in the Gulf of Alaska, where I am working to develop a radiocarbon chronology for the past 50,000 years using a new method called Geomagnetic Network Analysis, where we align records using changes in the earth's magnetic field to improve the dating resolution. The development of this chronology is helping us better understand changes in the dynamics of the Northwestern Cordilleran Ice Sheet.

Today, I am excited about my research and eager to share my excitement with my community.

Though my current research is not directly related to the polar regions of our planet, the history my sediment cores reveal is influenced by the polar regions. The next step in my research journey will take me to work with sediments from the North Atlantic Ocean, using sediments from IODP Exp. 395 and one of the questions I am interested in answering involves a better understanding of changes in the polar regions that influence changes in the deepwater formation in the North Atlantic.

I find it fascinating that my work keeps taking me further back in time.

My path to where I am today has not been a straight line, but rather a journey with its unique challenges. As a member of an underrepresented group, I had to work harder to convince my family that my career path was viable. However, amidst the challenges, I received valuable advice from a professor at a community college, which kept me going when I could not foresee a way through the challenges. They taught me that when one door closes, it becomes challenging for us to recognize potential opportunities. Thus, it's essential to keep an open mind to new ventures. This advice opened doors to new possibilities and led me to discover my passion for teaching in informal environments. Through my Associate, Bachelor's, and master's degrees, I worked at Liberty Science Center, and after completing my Master's degree, I helped manage STEM programs for K-12 audiences. Today, I am excited about my research and eager to share my excitement with my community.

One of the questions I am interested in answering involves a better understanding of changes in the polar regions that influence changes in the deepwater formation in the North Atlantic.

Outside of working on research, I enjoy cooking, playing video games, painting, and playing with my dog. I tend to play a lot of role-playing games; I have been trying to finish Assassin's Creed, and Valhalla for quite some time. I mostly cook South and East Asian dishes; it makes me feel a little closer to the community I was raised in.

The first time I connected with polar science was at my first American Geological Union conference in 2010. I was able to attend as an undergraduate student, presenting the work I had done to date on the sediment core from Antarctica. During this presentation, a researcher came to my poster to hear what I was working on, and after I had shared my work, she told me that she was looking forward to me finishing this work because it would help her continue her work. I found this to be inspirational because I had not fully grasped the relevance of the research I was contributing to, and to hear an established researcher tell an undergraduate that members of the community are relying on this work is an amazing confidence boost.

I will continue my work with sediment cores, paleomagnetism, developing chronologies, and using them to understand changes in the climate. The next research I plan to do will take me to the North Atlantic, where I will explore changes recorded in the sediments resulting in climatic changes in Iceland and Greenland. I find it fascinating that my work keeps taking me further back in time; my undergraduate and Master's work took me to the past 10,000 years, my current work is taking me back 50,000 years, and my future work will take me back 3 million years.

My current work utilized sediment cores retrieved by the IODP Exp. 341 in the Gulf of Alaska, where I am working to develop a radiocarbon chronology for the past 50,000 years.

I cannot name a single person who has inspired me. I have been fortunate to meet people who have supported me in many ways, and it's their support and trust in my abilities that keep me going. You will always face challenges that are uniquely difficult for you, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to reach out to folks who not only will give you heartwarming advice but also will not shy away from providing healthy criticism of your actions.

Follow Deepa on X / Twitter at @Cel3st86!