Rachel Badzioch

What’s the work that you do?

I am a PhD student at the University of Notre Dame studying the ecological impacts of wildfires on tundra in northern Alaska. I am interested in how carbon stocks are recovered after carbon is lost from burning tundra, and how post-fire changes in vegetation community, biogeochemistry, and microtopography affect carbon recovery. I approach these questions by combining in situ measurements from sites in Alaska with a burn history, eddy covariance data, and satellite and airborne remote sensing data.

What keeps you going?

I love that I get to conduct fieldwork in the Arctic and learn about tundra ecosystems firsthand! As the Arctic changes rapidly due to climate change and fires that are increasing in frequency and severity, there is a great need to understand how the region is responding to these unprecedented environmental changes. I am motivated by the opportunity to study an ecosystem that is so important, and I am grateful that my work involves meeting fantastic scientists, traveling to places that not many people get to experience, and sharing what I learn.

What’s your message to the world?

Our world is quickly changing and there is so much we need to learn about it! With enough curiosity and creativity, anyone can be a scientist and contribute pieces of understanding to the most complex puzzle ever, and hopefully, all of the collective pieces can make a difference.