About the Creators

Daniel Kirk-Davidoff

Prof. Kirk-Davidoff is the Principal Investigator for the NSF-funded study "Climate Implications of the Messinian Desiccation of the Mediterranean Basin: GCM Simulations and Process Model Studies". He is an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences at the University of Maryland.

Ashley Griffin

Ashley was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Hyattsville, MD. She is currently studying Geology, Meteorology and Physics as a Physical Science Major at the University of Maryland: College Park. Her career plans are to become a Severe Weather Analyst for NOAA. She enjoys science because there are always new things to research. There are many things that scientists still don't know.

Daniel Kessler

Daniel was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Rockville, Maryland. He moved to southern California when he was 3. Daniel's first interest in science was meteorology. He loved to explore the environments of the beach, desert, and mountains, all of which were located within 2 hours of his house by car.

When Daniel was 11, he moved back to the D.C. area. Daniel's interest in meteorology continued to grow through middle and high school. He was able to visit the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as a few meteorologists at a news station.He also took some courses in high school that focused on Earth science.

Currently, Daniel is majoring in geography as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland. He plans to have a career in climatology or urban planning.

Lauren Woolsey

Lauren has lived in five different states in all regions of the country, but she feels very at home as an undergraduate at the University of Maryland. She has always been a science nerd, and plans to major in astronomy and physics. The Maryland Student Researchers program let her find her way into this amazing group of people and the subject of the Messinian Desiccation. She will cherish her time spent on this project and hopes to continue research in the sciences throughout her time at Maryland and her life beyond.

Lisa Murphy