Persaud Lab
Dr. Patricia Persaud joined the Geosciences department at the UA as an Associate Professor in January 2023. She completed her PhD in Geophysics at California Institute of Technology. There her research focused on unraveling crustal deformation beneath the Gulf of California rift using both onshore and offshore recordings of earthquakes and explosions, as well as geodynamic models. She was a Postdoctoral Science Fellow at Columbia University, NY, where she worked with colleagues in Astronomy, Ecology and Climate Change to develop a new multidisciplinary course, Frontiers of Science, which has now become a standard part of Columbia University’s core curriculum.
Her recent research has been developing detailed 3-D velocity models for the Salton Trough, southern California, the anticipated epicenter of the next “Big One,” a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. The models and the identification of buried unmapped faults will help improve earthquake hazard assessments for the region. Patricia and collaborators have also deploy 30 broadband seismometers in Myanamar as part of the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar Array (BIMA) project to determine the crustal structure of the northward continuation of the Sumatra-Andaman subduction zone as it comes onshore beneath the densely populated Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta. Patricia welcomes the opportunity to talk to prospective students and postdocs.
Dr. Benjamin Sadler (left) is a seismologist. He specializes in using passive seismic methods to model the Earth’s crustal structure, mostly in sedimentary basins. This work seeks to refine and improve seismic methods to better constrain basin and crystalline crustal structure, with the aim of providing improved geologic models for scientific and seismic hazard applications. Study areas include the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, the South-Central United States, the Bengal basin in Bangladesh, and Southern Italy. Benjamin received a B.S. in Geology and Geophysics from Purdue University in 2018 and a Ph.D. from Baylor University in 2024. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and camping.
Joses Omojola (right) is an incoming PhD student in the Geosciences at UA. He completed his MS degree at Louisiana State University in 2023 and his BS degree in Geology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nigeria in 2017. At UNILAG, he wrote a thesis that investigated aquifer occurrence in the basement complex of southwestern Nigeria. Upon graduation, he worked as a seismic interpreter and static modeler in the Niger Delta Basin and West African Transform Margin. At LSU, he worked on the Sorrento project in Southern Louisiana. He investigated underground storage cavern integrity using a network of nodal seismometers to monitor the caverns. The project would contribute to our understanding of earthquakes in Louisiana. It will also enable improved analysis of potential environmental hazards due to storage cavern collapse. In his free time, Joses enjoys listening to music, watching movies and playing video games. Graduated: May, 2023 with MS from LSU. Now a PhD student at UA.
Katleho Ramotso (left) is currently a graduate student at the University of Arizona pursuing a Master’s degree in Geosciences. She completed her B.S. in Geosciences at the University of Arizona in 2025. Katleho is working with Dr. Persaud on detecting and locating microearthquakes at underground salt caverns near Bayou Corne, Louisiana using broadband seismic data. This project aims to understand how microearthquake patterns at salt domes reveal subsurface deformation and cavern failure which is critical for the energy transition. In her free time, Katleho enjoys playing chess, reading, watching sports and traveling with family.
Alex Goseyun (right) is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona. He obtained his Associates of Science degree in spring 2023 from Northland Pioneer College in Show Low, northeastern Arizona and participated in the inaugural Clouds to the Core program at UA in summer 2023. He investigated whether changing climate with more rainfall has the potential to increase the number of microearthquakes by developing a series of Matlab codes to visualize and compare measured rainfall and microearthquake catalogs. The results can be used to evaluate a mechanism for producing the microearthquakes. He continues to do research with Drs. Persaud and Juárez-Zúñiga and is currently building a high-resolution digital database of data from drilled wells in the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The database will help to determine if variations observed in recent seismic velocity profiles are due to changes in the aquifer systems. This research has important implications for groundwater management in the region. Outside of research and coding, Alex enjoys music and sports.
Rasheed Ajala (right) is a PhD candidate in the Geology and Geophysics department at LSU. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Houston (UH), where he obtained a BS in Geophysics with minor in Mathematics in May 2017. At LSU, he is working on an improved 3-D P-wave velocity model for the Coachella Valley in southern California. The model will contribute to SCEC’s Community Modeling Environment and improve seismic hazard studies in the region. He will also take part in the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar Array (BIMA) deployment. Besides research, he loves listening to rap music, watching stand-up comedy, travelling to unfamiliar places and experiencing new cultures, and is into iOS and Android app development. Graduated: May, 2022. Now a Postdoctoral Fellow at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.
Weston Charles (left) is an MS candidate at LSU who received his B.S degree in geology at the University of Houston. At UH, his undergraduate research consisted of modeling the regional flexure effects of subducting oceanic lithosphere along the South Caribbean Deformed Belt using gravity and bathymetry data. While at LSU, he is working with GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and GRACE Follow-On data spanning from 2002 to 2020 to compute and model the hydrological mass variations for Louisiana. Aside from research, he enjoys various types of music and film, exploring new areas, playing video games, and reading comics.
Ritu Ghose (right) is a PhD student in Dr. Persaud’s research group at LSU. She completed her BS degree in geology from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She received her MS degree from Wright State University in 2017 and started at LSU in 2019.
At LSU, her research focuses on receiver functions from nodal seismic arrays providing high resolution crustal structure. She will be working on the northern Los Angeles BASIN project for a detailed study of the sedimentary basin structure from nodal arrays. Ritu also loves to spend time drawing and painting, reading books, participating in cultural exhibitions etc. and is an admirer of art and literature. Graduated: Dec, 2023. Now a scientist at GHD.
Justin Kain (left) is pursuing his MS with research interests in stress analysis and geomechanics. Justin received a BS degree in geology from Louisiana State University in 2018. His undergraduate thesis research involved using the geochemical analysis of apatite crystals to correlate volcanic ash beds in the southern United States. In Justin’s research with Dr. Persaud, he will focus on analyzing borehole breakouts from caliper and image wells logs provided by industry to determine the maximum horizontal stress directions in the Wilmington oil field of Southern California. Data from earthquake focal mechanisms will be used in conjunction with borehole constraints to determine the slip potential of nearby faults. In his spare time, Justin enjoys maintaining his 225 gallon reef tank, hiking, and playing pool. Graduated: August, 2022. Now at the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
Guibao Liu (right) graduated in Spring 2019 with an MS degree. He is interested in investigating the Deep Earth’s interior utilizing sophisticated seismological approaches. He computed receiver functions from a dense Nodal dataset in the northern Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Nodal dataset was used to characterize the basement structure of the northern basins in more detail than previously possible and is important for earthquake hazard estimates in this region.
Harris Pritchard (left) is pursuing his MS degree with research interests in structural geology and geophysics. Harris received a BS degree in geology from Washington and Lee University in 2016. While at W&L, his undergraduate thesis research used an extensive grid of 2D seismic reflection data to provide constraints on the detailed structural style and timing of crustal rift-related faults on the southern Chukchi Shelf of Alaska. In Harris’s current research with Dr. Persaud, he will focus on analyzing borehole breakouts from well logs to determine horizontal stress directions in the Santa Barbara Channel of southern California. The aim of this research is to provide a significant contribution to the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Community Stress Model. Graduated: Dec, 2018. Now an Energy Investment Banking Analyst with Credit Suisse.
Delton Samuel (right) is an incoming PhD student with an undergraduate degree from California State University Eastbay in Geology. Delton has explored structural mapping of fault areas near the Hayward Fault in San Leandro, California. He also studied how GIS can identify sinkhole hazards in Tampa Bay flood areas. He is an intern with the United States Geological Survey, where he uses active source seismic tomographic methods to examine ground-shaking hazards in the upper 30 meters (Vs30) and to locate faults. He enjoys outreach work that creates visibility and opportunity for minorities in geoscience. He enjoys creating visual and audio art or fishing in his free time. Graduated: May, 2024.
Dr. Alan Juárez-Zúñiga (right) is a Geophysicist with expertise in seismology and scientific computing. He uses diverse geophysical datasets and cutting-edge seismic tomography techniques to model the Earth's structure and understand the complexity of seismic wave generation and propagation. Also, he is interested in modeling the processes of stress and deformation that lead to complex earthquakes and seismic sequences. With his work, he seeks to contribute to improving earthquake hazards and risk reduction. Alan got his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Southern California in 2022 and his M.Sc. and B.Eng. from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 2014 and 2016, respectively. He is also a member of the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Youth Group and actively advocates for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and international scientific cooperation for peace. In his free time, Alan enjoys reading magical and mythological realism, taking evening walks, and dancing Mexican Folklorico.
Dr. Sachin Kumar (left) is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Geology and Geophysics Department at LSU. Before joining LSU, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Geosciences, Baylor University. At Baylor, he identified seismically anisotropic and/or dipping structures beneath Hispaniola Island using a harmonic decomposition modeling approach. In 2016, he completed his M.Sc. Tech degree and in 2022, his PhD in Applied Geophysics at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad, India. In his PhD project, his research focused on the seismic investigation of the crustal structure beneath Hispaniola Island using receiver function analysis. At LSU, he is working on the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar Array (BIMA) project to model seismically anisotropic and dipping structures within the crust beneath Bangladesh. Sachin loves listening to music, and watching and playing cricket in his free time.
Dr. Chiara Nardoni (right) is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Geology and Geophysics Department at LSU. She completed her undergraduate studies and PhD in Physics (2022) at Roma Tre University in Rome (Italy), in collaboration also with the University of Mainz (Germany). In her PhD project, she focused on imaging mixed continental-oceanic settings benchmarking results with a combination of radiative-transfer and wave-equation forward modelling approaches and inversion tools designed for seismic attenuation imaging. At LSU, she is taking part in the BASIN project working on a 3D attenuation model across the northern Los Angeles basins. The attenuation model combined with the existing velocity models will contribute to an improved understanding of this high seismic hazard region. Besides her research, she loves listening to music and spending time with friends outdoors especially in the mountains.
Samantha Rios (right) is an undergraduate student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette majoring in Enviromental Science with a concentration in Environmental Quality. Growing up in the swamps of Southern Louisiana means witnessing the environmental changes that occur in a delicate ecosystem and identifying the anthropogenic sources of those changes. Through her experiences, she has grown a passion for environmental policy and hopes to obtain the skills needed to influence positive change in her community. Her current research involves using XRF technology to identify heavy metal contamination in Louisiana soils.
Ashlyn Schneida (left) is currently an undergraduate student at LSU on track to receive a BS in geology with a concentration in geophysics. She is working with Dr. Persaud on the Southern Louisiana Micro-Seismicity (SOLAMS) project to understand how the Baton Rouge fault system affects Louisiana hydrogeology. She is currently learning horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) processing. After her undergraduate studies, Ashlyn plans to pursue graduate school to study geophysics. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, kayaking, and thrifting. She also enjoys travelling and spending time with family and friends.
Hunter Shepard (right) is an undergraduate student majoring in Mathematics at Southern University and A&M College, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hunter recently completed his summer research at Harvard University in the Department of Applied Physics. He has conducted research in Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Education, Cyber Security, and Quantum Computing. He is heavily involved in his campus life holding a multitude of leadership positions, within various organizations. Hunter is very big on student advocacy in K-12 and the College level, he wants to make sure every student has the necessary resources they need to succeed. Hunter considers himself an upcoming Scientist but also an educator at heart. In the future, he plans to attend graduate school and teach STEM in both secondary and higher education sectors. He is working with Dr. Persaud on the BASIN project in Los Angeles and Fontana areas. Graduated: August, 2023. Now at Boeing.
Kaylee Cornelius (left) is a junior at Harvard currently pursuing a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and a secondary in Energy and the Environment. Kaylee is involved in many organizations like Engineers Without Borders, the Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers, the Club Golf Team, and the Association of Black Harvard Women. In the past, Kaylee has interned at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in the Electronic Systems Laboratory. Now, she works with Dr. Persaud on detecting earthquake patterns with machine learning. During her free time, Kaylee enjoys playing golf, knitting, and learning about advances in the renewable energy field. Graduated: May, 2023.
Brian Aguilar (right) will be graduating in the Spring of 2022 from California State University of Bakersfield with a BS in Geological Sciences and B.A. in Communication with an emphasis on Digital Media. He was a student leader for the MESA program that supports student diversity and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math at Bakersfield College, and is planning on pursuing his doctorate Degree in either Mineralogy or Planetary Sciences. Brian is a 2020 SOURCES intern at the Southern California Earthquake Center and is working with Dr. Persaud on the Basin Amplification Seismic INvestigation (BASIN) project. In his free time, he likes to go hiking, playing music, reading and spending time with his son. Graduated: May, 2022. Now a graduate student at CSU Bakersfield.
Ingred Alexandrino (left) graduated from Baton Rouge Community College with an Associates in general science. She plans to become a junior in fall 2021 at Louisiana State University and pursue a BS degree in Geology. Afterwards, Ingred plans to complete her Master’s degree in Geology with a concentration in Mineralogy or any other field in Geology. She is currently working with Dr. Persaud for the first time on the Los Angeles BASIN experiment and she is enjoying every moment. Ingred spends her free time with her 3 year old daughter, listening to music, cooking, and dancing. Graduated: 2021. Now pursuing a BS degree at LSU.
Lucia Lin (left) is a sophomore at Harvard College pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. She is a Radcliffe research partner working with Dr. Persaud on automating the detection of small earthquakes. At Harvard, she is one of the Directors of the Harvard Undergraduate Science Olympiad, where she helps run national tournaments in STEM for middle school and high school students, and the Secretary of the Radcliffe Choral Society, a treble choral ensemble. In her free time, Lucia enjoys singing, knitting, and listening to music. Graduated: 2023.
Elise McCullison (right) is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Physics at LSU starting in Fall 2018. She works with Dr. Persaud on interpolating 3-D interpretations of faults in the Santa Barbara Channel located offshore southern California. The goal is to obtain fault parameters that are used to test the potential for earthquake slip on these faults in a given stress field. Elise also works on analyzing data from the Raspberry Shakes that our group have installed on the LSU campus and at the LIGO Livingston Observatory and will present results at the 2019 LSU Discover Day. Graduated: May, 2022. Now at Assumption Middle School.
Karlee Rivera (left) is a senior completing her undergraduate degree in Earth Science with an emphasis in Geology at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. She is planning on pursuing her doctorate degree in Geophysics. She is most interested in the studies of earthquakes. She is a 2020 SOURCE intern at the Southern California Earthquake Center and is taking part in the Basin Amplification Seismic INvestigation (BASIN) Project. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, spend time at the beach, and take her dogs on walks. She is also a student-athlete on the CSUDH softball team. Graduated: May, 2021. Now a PhD student at University of California, Riverside.
Valeria Vela (right) is a sophomore pursuing a B.A. in mathematics and computer science at Harvard university. On campus, Valeria is involved in Women in Computer Science, Harvard Financial Analysts club, and the student radio station WHRB. Valeria is a Radcliffe Research Partner working with Dr. Persaud to detect earthquakes with machine learning. Valeria also enjoys reading, writing, and going on long bike rides. Graduated: 2023.
Madison Menou is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in General Business and a minor in Energy at LSU. Her goal is to enter the oil industry and work in land developement or management. When she isn't studying, she is visiting her parents or spending time with her sorority sisters. What interested Madison in Dr. Persaud's research specifically was the opportunity to work on oil industry data.
Angel Hernandez (left) completed his Bachelor's Degree in Geology at LSU in Fall 2018. He particpated in an undergradute research project with Dr. Persaud that focused on probing the deep structures beneath the Bayou Corne Sinkhole using recordings from distant earthquakes. The Bayou Corne Sinkhole was created in August 2012 due to a collapse of the Napoleonville salt dome, causing many residents to evacuate due to seismic activity. Seismometers were installed all throughout the damage zone to closely monitor any seismic activity that can provide valuable information on what may be causing this phenomenon and the unusual growth of the sinkhole.
Cort Fuller is an undergraduate student in Physics at LSU. In Fall 2018, he worked on visualizing well paths for a stress analysis project in Southern California. This helped our research group better understand how stress measurements relate to active faulting.
Arlen Burson Jr. (right) is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Art at LSU as well as a minor in Digital Media AVATAR Arts. His goal is to enter the Gaming Industry and change the way we perceive video games. In his free time he watches anime, plays a game or two, or goes cycling around LSU lakes. He has no preference in music, but if he had to choose it would be Indie. He has worked under Dr. Persaud to send the nodes to Southern California to track ground motion near the San Andreas fault in the San Gabriel basin. Graduated: 2019. Now at LED FastStart.
Jessica Le was a Junior at LSU in 2017 majoring in Kinesiology. She had the opportunity to participate in our recent project to record ground motion in the the San Gabriel basin, Southern California. She also presented ‘Measuring Earthquake Ground Motion near the San Andreas Fault with an Urban Deployment of Modern Seismometers’ at LSU's Discover Day. When she first heard about the experiment, she found it interesting because there were actually instruments that could measure and record ground motion. She will be attending Respiratory Therapy school in New Orleans, and looks forward to the next steps.