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CV (January 2025)

Isaiah Bolden (he/him) – Jean “Chris” Purvis Assistant Professor

I’m a chemical oceanographer and biogeochemist (and many other hats) who originally hails from landlocked Nashville, TN. How I ended up having a coastal ocean-focused career is still a mystery to many of my friends and family members…

My research is fundamentally aimed at understanding the various impacts of climate change on modern and ancient coral reef ecosystems. Specifically, I make discrete and continuous measurements of reef seawater composition, assess the composition and preservation of corals and other carbonates formed from reef seawater, and relate these respective compositions to surveys of benthic community composition to determine chemical “fingerprints” of changes in reef health over various scales of space and time. I am also committed to applying the products of my group’s research toward inclusive, community-engaged geoscience outreach and education efforts. When I’m not in my office, I’m likely in the lab… and when I’m not in the lab, I’m usually in deep, contemplative thought at one of our mass spectrometers. If you don’t find me at any of those places, I’m probably at a trivia night somewhere in Atlanta, exploring the city’s amazing food scene, hiking somewhere in the North Georgia mountains, or trying to increase my escape room success record.

Email: iwb@gatech.edu

David Clark (he/him)

I am a Master’s student in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. I’m originally from Powder Springs, GA, and earned my B.S. in Earth and Atmospheric Science right here at Georgia Tech (THWg!). My research focuses on using stable isotope ratios in coral skeletons to reconstruct the Southern Caribbean climate. When I’m not milling corals in the lab, fighting with the ICP-OES, or taking samples in Curaçao, I’m usually backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, playing soccer, or reading. If you have questions about being a grad student in this lab or at Tech in general, let me know!

Email: dclark88@gatech.edu

Margaret “Maggie” Gordon (she/her)

Hello! I am a first-year PhD student in EAS at Georgia Tech. I earned a M.S in EAS at Georgia Tech in 2025 and a B.S. in Geological Sciences (with a Chem minor) at the University of South Carolina in 2023. My master’s thesis focused on heavy metals (specifically Ni, Cu, and Zn) in seawater in Puerto Rico. I have extensive experience with metal preconcentration column chemistry, and am interested in streamlining and improving methods for efficiency and accuracy. My PhD work focuses on novel proxy development, attempting to apply the δ¹¹⁴Cd paleoproductivity proxy to coral archives and present arsenic concentrations as a potential tracer for sargassum decomposition in the Caribbean. I’m originally from Knoxville, TN and in my free time I like to read, bike, and hike. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions!

Email: mgordon70@gatech.edu

Isabelle Osuna (they/them)

I am a current Earth & Atmospheric Sciences PhD student. I am originally from San Jose, CA. I went to the University of Washington-Seattle for undergrad, getting my B.S. in Oceanography. My overarching goal for my research is to achieve environmental justice using biogeochemical oceanography. The project that I am currently working on uses modern and archeological coral from a plantation in St. Croix as proxies for paleoclimate and paleoceanography data. In my free time, I enjoy reading, camping, and swimming. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions about my research or tech!

Email: iosuna3@gatech.edu

Sylvia Chan (she/her)

Hello, I am a current Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Major from Peachtree Corners, GA. My project is observing the negative stressors on Jamaican corals’ growth and health through their linear extension rates and growth variability over whole colony lifetime. My overall goal is to relate my research to environmental toxicity and ocean acidification occurring in the Caribbean. Outside of research, I’m usually reading, gaming, and/or trying to write short stories.

Email: schan78@gatech.edu