Welcome to the PaleoLab at UMass Boston!

Unlocking Earth’s Secrets. Launched in 2023, our lab operates at the forefront of investigating Earth’s carbon and nitrogen cycles and their impacts on climate. Our team uses an unlikely ally – marine sediments, and more specifically, a group of microscopic fossils called foraminifera.

By studying these ancient ocean dwellers, we are able to unlock valuable insights into the intricate processes that shape our planet. From short-term changes occurring over the span of decades to long-term cycles spanning millions of years, our research unravels the intricate biogeochemistry of carbon and nitrogen and their relationship with Earth’s climate.

Through state-of-the-art techniques, we piece together the puzzle of Earth’s past and present, striving to build a better understanding of the complex mechanisms that drive our planet’s climate and ecosystems. The knowledge we gain from our investigations paves the way for innovative approaches to address the climate crisis.
*No pipettes were harmed in the taking of group photos

Join Us

Although the PaleoLab does not have any current openings on funded projects, prospective PhD students are always welcome to contact Jesse for more information.

Who We Are

Jesse Farmer (Lab PI)
Jesse is an Assistant Professor in Geology and Paleoclimate in the School for the Environment. He received his PhD from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Outside of the lab, he’s an avid, but not very talented, surfer.
Jesse’s CV–updated 2026

Shalan McDonagh
Shalan is a PhD student in the PaleoLab and leading the Southern Ocean nutrient consumption project. Shalan received her masters from URI, where she worked in the Robinson Lab. Outside of the lab, Shalan is training for the 2025 NYC marathon (!).

Joshua Anderson
Josh is a PhD student in the PaleoLab and leading the Arctic/high latitude North Atlantic projects. Josh received his Bachelors of Science from Pomona College, where he worked with Bob Gaines and Masha Prokopenko.

Nuri van Dommelen
Nuri is a PhD student in the PaleoLab and leading projects on the history of nutrient consumption in the Benguela Upwelling System and the deglacial terrigenous nutrient supply from the Mississippi River. Nuri received his Bachelors of Science from Brown University, where he worked with Tim Herbert.

Tessa Giacoppo
Tessa is a PhD student in the PaleoLab and leading the ETNP ODZ project for her first year. Tessa received her Bachelors of Science from UMass Amherst, where she worked with Matt Winnick. She joins UMB after receiving a Masters from Dalhousie University working with Owen Sherwood.

Bella Brown
Bella is a senior in the School for the Environment working on a capstone project assessing natural and anthropogenic nutrient inputs to the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System over the last century from coral-bound N isotopes. Bella spent Summer 2025 as a REU student with Ben Twining at Bigelow Labs.

Jordan Graham
Jordan is a senior in the School for the Environment. He is working on the new Arctic sea-ice project in collaboration with Josh and Frankie Pavia’s group at UW.

Ruth Zewde
Ruth is a junior at UMass Boston. She is also working on the new Arctic sea-ice project in collaboration with Josh and Frankie Pavia’s group.

Emily Foley
Emily is a junior in the School for the Environment working on the ETNP ODZ project in collaboration with Tessa and Danny Sigman’s group at Princeton.

Veronica Fernandez
Emily is a sophomore in the School for the Environment and the Honors College. She’s working primarily on the Arctic sea-ice and Benguela projects, but seems to be pitching into every active project in the lab!

Ruggles
Our favorite four-legged blank problem. Ruggles might not be allowed in the lab but he cheers us on from the office. And tries to sneak into suitcases, lab meetings, and conferences.

Current Projects

Drivers of nutrient consumption change in the Subantarctic South Pacific and their role in Pleistocene climate evolution (NSF-2305427). Collaboration with Jennifer Middleton and Gisela Winckler (Columbia), Christina Ravelo (UC Santa Cruz) and IODP Expedition 383 Scientists
Revisiting the history of Plio-Pleistocene tropical Pacific water column denitrification with foraminifera-bound nitrogen isotopes (NSF-2303549). Collaboration with Danny Sigman (Princeton)
New proxy estimates of Arctic sea-ice coverage and its biogeochemical impacts in a warmer world (NSF-2438503). Collaboration with Frankie Pavia (UW)
Seasonal and century-scale climatic and ocean response to deglacial Mississippi River outflow due to Laurentide meltwater (NSF-2503849). Collaboration with Kaustubh Thirumalai (UA) and Tony Wang (BC)
Nutrient cycling in the Benguela Upwelling System during the Pliocene Epoch (NSF-2621871), Collaboration with Danny Sigman (Princeton)

Lab Setup

The PaleoLab possesses all necessary equipment for the preparation of environmental samples for trace-level element and natural abundance isotope measurements. Our specialty is sample preparation for nitrogen isotope analyses of carbonate-bound organic matter, carbonate boron isotopes, and carbonate trace element abundances. Notable equipment includes:

• Milli-Q IQ-7000 ultrapure water system;

• Savillex DST-1000 for distillation of ultra-low N blank water;

• Esco 4′ horizontal laminar flow ULPA bench with Entegris prefilters for sensitive nitrogen isotope preparation;

• Savillex HPX-200 hotplate for chemical oxidation of organic nitrogen to nitrate;

• Clean Rooms International 4′ horizontal boron-free ULPA bench for carbonate B isotope and trace element preparation;

• Eppendorf 5804R refrigerated centrifuge;

• Two fume hoods, one each dedicated to N and B chemical work.

For measurements, we collaborate with internal and external laboratory facilities, including:

• UMass Boston’s Environmental Analytical Core Facility, which includes a Perkin Elmer NexION 2000 HR-ICP-MS, a Nu AttoM ES SF-ICP-MS, and a laser ablation introduction system;

• N isotopes: The Sigman Lab at Princeton University, the Organic Isotope Geochemistry Lab at Max-Planck Institute for Chemistry, and the Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Lab at Boston College

• B isotopes: The LDEO-AMNH ICP-MS Lab and the Hönisch TIMS Lab at Columbia University

Lab Alumni

Emily Cruickshank ’26 (Undergraduate Legacy Award winner; currently on the market for PhD programs!)

Christina Murdock ’26

Charly Raymond ’25 (Undergraduate Mentoring Award winner; currently TerraCorps/Dennis Conservation Land Trust)

Laura Senderovich ’25 (graduated with Distinction)

Ashley Pierce ’24 (graduated with Distinction; currently EPA Superfund Division)

Anh Le ’24 (Undergraduate Mentoring Award winner; currently Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)