Nikhil Brocchini

Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Jacquelyn Gill

Office Location: Sawyer 128

 

Biographical Statement: I’m originally from the Bay Area, and have been interested in the natural world for as long as I can remember. I have an undergraduate degree from Brown University, where I studied Geology-Biology with a particular focus on paleoclimatology. After graduating in 2020, I spent time living in Oakland CA, where I worked first as an environmental consultant and then as a laborer in a glass casting facility. I am now pursuing a Master’s degree in Quaternary and Climate Studies in the Climate Change Institute as a member of Dr. Jacquelyn Gill’s lab. My hobbies include fly fishing, beekeeping, and home recording. My primary academic interests (outside of paleoecology) are evolutionary theory and philosophy of science.

Research Area: I am interested in the landscape-scale ecosystem changes that have taken place in the Arctic and subarctic since the end of the last ice age. I’m especially curious about the potential of metabarcoding and metagenomics approaches to characterize and compare ancient ecosystems. I believe that developing a richer understanding of how ecosystems responded to warming in the past could inform our understanding of modern climate change.