The Bay Area Geophysical Society (BAGS) and the Hohmann Wannamaker Trust (HWT) are proud to announce the winner for the 2025 Louise “Lu” Pellerin Memorial Scholarship. The intent of this
scholarship is to promote the advancement of women and woman-identifying students in the
field of Geophysics by providing them with financial support and recognition, encouraging them
to continue their academic and professional development as a geoscientist through research and
networking with others in academia and industry.
Amanda is a third year Ph.D. student in the department of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Santa Cruz. Her work focuses on focuses on understanding Earth processes across vastly different systems: internal wave dynamics in the ocean and crustal stress evolution due to glacial cycles. Amanda’s interdisciplinary research aims to expand both oceanographic and geophysical understanding by integrating satellite data, in-situ instrumentation, and computational modeling.
In addition to her outstanding academic record and research work, the scholarship committee appreciated how Amanda’s extra-curricular activities aligned with Lu’s personal goals of mentorship, engagement, and educational outreach in geophysics. Amanda serves monthly as a belay volunteer for climbers with disabilities, has planned and taught Earth science courses to K-12 students in several different programs, and has previously developed and led educational programs for Rohingyan refugees in Malaysia. Amanda has also supported mutual aid efforts for unhoused communities and helped construct water systems for underserved Indigenous communities.
With the scholarship money, Amanda plans to attend the AGU annual meeting this December in New Orleans, LA, where she will present her findings on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA)-induced stress perturbation along the Queen Charlotte Fault in southeast Alaska. We wish Amanda great success at AGU and in her geophysical career!
If you would like to contribute to BAGS and help fund the Louise Pellerin Scholarship for future recipients, please visit https://bayareageophysicalsociety.org/donate/.