Alexander C. Berne
Planetary Scientist at the California Institute of Technology and
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
About
I am a computational planetary scientist and geophysicist based in Pasadena, California. I principally use numerical methods (e.g., Finite Element Analysis) to treat problems in Geophysics and Planetary Science. My research focuses on - but is not restricted to - the interior and tectonic processes that shape rocky and icy satellites. I am currently completing my Ph.D., at the California Institute of Technology on the geodynamics of Enceladus.
I am further passionate about science communication, teaching, and diversity. I previously served as an Earthquake Fellow Mentor through the Caltech Seismological Laboratory and am currently a Scientist on a Strategic Research and Technology Initiative at NASA/JPL investigating the deployment of modern geodetic tools (e.g., InSAR) to the outer solar system.
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Contact Info
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4900 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, US
California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., South Mudd Rm 360, Pasadena, CA 91125, US
Academic / Research experience
Ph.D. in Geophysics 09.2020 - 09.2025
Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
Ph.D., thesis: Exploring Different Scales of Crustal Deformation on Enceladus
M.Sc. in Physics 09.2019 - 09.2020
Department of Physics, Exeter College, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
MSc thesis: Characterising the Behaviour of an Energy Monitor Device for FLASH Radiation for Cancer Therapy
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering 09.2015 - 05.2019
College of Engineering, University of Miami, Miami, USA
BS thesis: An automatic control system for a thermo-electric ice coring drill to recover samples from Greenland's ice sheet.
Highlights
Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science (FINESST) Grant
$150,000 Fellowship Grant
Grant awarded by NASA's Planetary Science Division (PSD) to support graduate student development through a 3-year project carried out during the completion of a Ph.D.. The title of the proposal is "Exploring Different Scales of Crustal Deformation on Enceladus"
Phillip and Patricia Frost Scholarship Scholarship
$50,000 Scholarship
Scholarship awarded to STEM students at the University of Miami to attend a 1-year Master's degree program at Oxford University.