Connecting people and Earth sciences
Deeply connected to both her discipline and the community of scholars she works with, Chloe Cheng, Geophysics ’25, is contributing to research on complex processes in the ocean and atmosphere.
If there is one word to describe the past four years for Chloe Cheng, Geophysics ’25, it might be “relationships.” A conversation with a friend brought her into the geophysics major her first year, and since then, connections with her peers and mentors have continued to shape her journey at Stanford.
Within the Geophysics Department, Cheng found a tight-knit community and especially appreciated the one-on-one interactions with graduate students and faculty. Wanting to contribute to this sense of belonging, she became a peer advisor to share guidance and organize opportunities for fellow undergraduate students.
“It was a way to bring undergrads together and have these community events that might not have happened otherwise,” Cheng said. “I’ve made some really close friends through peer advising.”
She also deepened her connections by working on research in the Polar Ocean Dynamics lab led by Earle Wilson, who joined Stanford as an assistant professor of Earth system science in 2022. Cheng said she enjoyed being part of the growth of the relatively new group.
“It was the kind of environment where I could play an active role, and feeling like I was a valued member of the team was really special.”
In the lab, she studied the dynamics between the ocean and atmosphere, investigating how storms can bring heat from the deep ocean up to the surface. A highlight of her work was when she discovered evidence for a pattern in data she had been analyzing for several months.
“I’ve never experienced that before,” she said, describing how the breakthrough moment encouraged her to stay involved in research. “It felt like a signal that I could keep going this way.”
Cheng hopes to continue working in the Earth sciences and will pursue a coterminal master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering next year, with a focus on atmosphere and energy. She’s enthusiastic about the possibilities of contributing to a broad range of issues, including fundamental questions about the planet and solutions-driven scholarship addressing water, energy, and political challenges.
Through her expanding scholarship, two priorities remain constant: connecting with others and her love of science.
“Being able to know your world better is really important for being able to make good decisions,” she said. “Science is just one way of doing that, but one that I find can be beautiful and human.”
Explore More
-
Diego Gutierrez, Earth Systems ’25, looks to the ground beneath us to understand how equitable food systems can lift up communities.
-
Emily Snell, BSH Geological Sciences ’24, is passionate about studying how to mitigate hazards from volcanic eruptions to nearby communities, and connects these interests to global challenges like climate change.
-
Yuchen Li, ’26, is deepening a lifelong interest in science by studying ocean circulation over the summer as part of an undergraduate research program.
