Student Blogs & Vignettes

Thea Bartlett

About my research

I have just started a project trying to match the sedimentary record to recorded history in Cuba. We collected sediment cores from the northern coast of Cuba starting in Havana Bay and moving westward to the most western tip. By looking at various organic compounds, I am hoping to track agricultural, industrial, and urban changes over time. I measure these organic compounds on a gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometer (GC-QQQ). Both learning how to run and maintaining this instrument has been an extremely rewarding (and at times frustrating) experience that I will be able to carry into my future career.

Why USFCMS?

I decided to join CMS because there are so many opportunities available, both professionally and recreationally in CMS and more broadly St. Petersburg. St. Pete feels like a city on the rise and being in the middle of it for graduate school is more than ideal. As far as CMS, from TGIF parties to research cruises to scientific conferences, there is always something happening. Beyond just things happening though, there are also a litany of different disciplines and research going on that interdisciplinary collaboration is almost a given. Overall,  I am very excited to be doing my research at this institution and in this city.