headshot of Adriane  Lam

Adriane Lam

Assistant Professor

Department of Earth Sciences

Mentoring Statement

The main goal of the ALOE (Ancient Life, Oceans, Environments) Lab is to help every researcher achieve their personal and professional goals through research endeavors, professional development activities, and taking part in collaborative activities, all while conducting research into Earth鈥檚 past environments and the behavior of its biota in response to climate perturbations. 

Biography

Adriane Lam is a paleontologist, paleoceanographer, and science communicator who started her academic life absolutely hating education. Every chance she had, she skipped high school to go ride her horses. But her desire to have a fulfilling career led her to community college, where she found her love of geology, all things fossilized, and learned a new appreciation for the art of teaching and mentoring. This led Lam down a path where she has traveled all over the world (most recently Antarctica and the Arctic, both for research), teaches courses about topics she is most interested in, and advises graduates who also have a passion for very old dead things.  

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, 91社区
  • PhD, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • MS, Ohio University, Athens
  • BS, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
  • AS, Reynolds Community College, Richmond, Virginia

Research Interests

  • Phylogenetically- and database- informed paleobiogeography of Phanerozoic marine invertebrates and plankton
  • Biostratigraphy using planktic foraminifera throughout the Late Mesozoic (Cretaceous) through Cenozoic
  • Taxonomy of planktic foraminifera (marine protists)
  • Reconstruction of atmospheric and surface ocean currents across analog warm periods of the Cenozoic
  • Reaching a broader audience on social media through the framework of science communication

Teaching Interests

  • Mass extinctions through time
  • Rock record and Earth鈥檚 history
  • Paleobiology
  • Paleobiogeography
  • Science communication for scientific ocean drilling

Honors and Awards

  • Distinguished Alumna, UMass Amherst Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences, 2024
  • Career Champion, The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, 91社区, 2023

Research Profile

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