Virginia Selz

Virginia is a Ph.D. candidate in the Earth System Science department at Stanford University. She brings a comprehensive background in Earth and Ocean Sciences (B.S.) and Biology (B.S., M.S.) to her work as a graduate researcher in the Ocean Biogeochemistry Lab. Her research seeks to understand how polar marine ecosystems respond to climate change using a combination of satellite remote sensing, ecosystem modeling, and observational and experimental field sampling techniques. She aspires to provide resource managers with insights into how future ice conditions will affect food availability in polar marine ecosystems.

Virginia has received funding through the North Pacific Research Board and Stanford Universitys School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences and Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education. Awarded the Centennial Teaching Assistant award and the Certificate of Mentorship, she has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and advising by the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences. She is a recipient of the Arctic Service Medal from the United States Coast Guard and the Antarctic Service Medal from the National Science Foundation.

Prior to beginning her doctoral work, Virginia spent two years in Washington, D.C., communicating climate change research to policy makers at Oceana and working to fund ocean science research at the National Science Foundation. At Stanford, she continues to communicate science research to broader audiences through her teaching and participation in local Bay Area outreach programs.