Paul Zander, PhD

I'm an earth scientist with expertise in paleoclimatology and biogeochemistry. My research has largely focused on understanding past climate and environmental changes by analyzing lake sediments. I am also interested in understanding carbon cycle processes in soils, particularly the role of microbes in transforming soil carbon. I aim to better understand interactions between climate, environment, and biogeochemical processes to better understand possible future changes. 

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I've always been curious about why things are the way they are in nature, and that has continued in my career as a researcher. The thing I love most about my research is that the work is incredibly interdisciplinary. I utilize methods and knowledge from the fields of geology, chemistry, ecology, climate science, hydrology, and environmental science.

 

Born and raised in South Lake Tahoe, California, my academic career path has taken me around the world. I completed my Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. After two years of working at the University of Arizona in Tucson, I moved to Switzerland to do a PhD in Climate Sciences at the University of Bern. Next I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship to do research at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany. Recently, I returned to California where I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

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