Meet Linsey Avila (ESR6)

I am Linsey Avila, ESR 6, and I hail from California in the United States (If you ever wonder why I am writing in American English and not traditional British English, this is why ​​​). It was in California where I started to embark on my scientific journey by double-majoring in Biological Psychology and Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following my bachelor’s studies I worked as a behavioral therapist and as a solar energy advisor before setting off to Sweden to start my master’s studies in Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science at Lund University. During my master’s thesis in Lund, I looked at biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes of a managed forest site using eddy covariance methods. In this program I was also able to participate in several field excursions, which included taking manual and automated chamber measurements, running gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers, operating eddy covariance equipment, calculating vegetation and root biomass, taking soil and temperature measurements, computing measurement data collected, and conducting lab experimentation in aquatic and soil microcosms.

Now, as a PhD fellow for the FutureArctic ITN at University of Copenhagen I will explore climate effects on the carbon cycle at the sub-arctic ForHot site in Iceland using automated, light-dark, gas exchange chambers over a naturally occurring temperature gradient. This is projected to include collaborations with several of the other ESRs within the FutureArctic ITN. In addition, I will also participate in various interdisciplinary coursework over the duration of my PhD program. Supplementary projects will include assessment of automated chamber measurements of CO₂ at a heathland site in Denmark and measurements of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O at a peatland site in Norway by cooperating with other researchers and PhD students at the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, the University of Oslo, and Dansk Miljørådgivning (DMR).

Over the course of FutureArctic, I expect to attend conferences, expand my professional network, and enrich my scholastic knowledge within the geosciences. I also wish to further my proficiencies in biogeochemistry, environmental technology, computer programing, data analysis and statistics, scientific writing, and research presentation.

You can follow my research on twitter!