Catherine V Davis

Lab Group

Principal Investigator

Dr. Catherine Davis, Principal Investigator

Catherine Davis

PI, Assistant Professor

I am an oceanographer, interested in drawing connections between ongoing and past climate change in the oceans. My research combines laboratory experimentation, modern field research, and marine microfossils along with the sedimentary record to understand the consequences of climate change in the ocean beyond the instrumental record. I am especially interested in links between climate change and deoxygenation, carbonate chemistry ('ocean acidification'), and the consequences for life in the open ocean.

Email: catherinedavis@ncsu.edu

Graduate Students

Rachel Alcorn, PhD Student

Rachel Alcorn

PhD Student
As a long-time lover of the marine sciences, I was happy to join the MEAS department as a graduate student in the Fall of 2022. While my previous experiences range from genetics to whale ecology, I am currently interested in paleoceanography and marine conservation. My research is currently focused on the use of foraminiferal fossil records to reconstruct past ocean condition, and this research can be utilized to better predict future changes to our oceans from modern climate change. Outside of my research, I am also an artist and a nerd for shells, fossils, and cool ocean critters.
Email: rcalcorn@ncsu.edu
@mantaarae
Lucia Maldonado Cruzado, PhD Student

Lucia Maldonado Cruzado

PhD Student
I have been working with planktonic foraminifera for the past 5 years and keep learning new and fascinating aspects about them till this day. So, it was a pleasure to join the MEAS department in August 2023 as a graduate student to continue learning and conducting new research. My interests revolve around marine ecology, paleoceanography, and molecular biology of planktonic foraminifera. My research focuses on analyzing changes in foraminiferal assemblages captured by sediment traps, comparing them, and identifying relationships with the overlapping sediment record, all while considering the impacts of recent climate change. Outside the lab, you can find me at home reading a book, watching documentaries, or scary movies.
Rhiannon Moore, MS Student

Rhiannon Moore

MS Student
I am excited to have joined the lab in Fall 2023 to study the drivers of foraminifera species distribution in the western Atlantic Ocean. I am primarily interested in untangling the connections between biology and nutrient cycling, especially concerning impacts for climate change and conservation. My background is in biology and political science, and my past research focused on analyzing stable isotopes in zooplankton to learn more about the biogeochemistry of the U.S. east coast. In my free time, I enjoy reading, creative writing, and rowing for NC State's club team.

Kelly Fawcett

MS Student

Postdoctoral Researchers

Tommaso Paoloni

Postdoctoral Researcher

Tommaso Paoloni is a micropalaeontologist and oceanographer specializing in past oceanic environments and foraminiferal ecology. His research focuses on the isotopic composition (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of organic matter bound to the tests of planktonic foraminifera, using these signals to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions and gain insights into the ecological dynamics of these key marine microorganisms.

Undergraduate Students

Lily Ramos

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Allie Hopper

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Emma Doty

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Morgan Wade

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Camden Cook

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Matthew Swierczynski

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Past Lab Members

Shannon Doherty

Postdoctoral Researcher
Now an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Emily Havard

MS Student
Interested in marine ecology, paleoclimatology and geochemistry

Katherine Cherry

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Now a PhD student at Texas A&M

Peyton Fitts

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Now an MS student at Duke University

Florent Fayolle

Visiting Graduate Student

Sara Wall

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Lucas Smathers

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Research focus: Paleoceanography and sediment analysis

Kiki Alston

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Join Our Team

Graduate Students

If you are interested in joining us in the 2025-2026 academic year, please email me with a CV and a description of your research interests. Information on the graduate program in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences can be found here.

Undergraduate Students

There are several routes for undergraduate students to participate in research in our lab. If you are an NC State undergraduate interested in climate change in the oceans, past or present, please email me with a description of your interests and background.

Postdoctoral Researchers

If you are interested in joining the lab as a postdoc, please reach out to me directly to discuss fellowship opportunities.