Bio
Fernanda Santos (she, hers) is an interdisciplinary staff scientist working in the Environmental Sciences Division at ORNL. Dr. Santos' has experience in soil science, biogeochemistry, and fire ecology, and currently conducts research that intersects ecosystem ecology and soil biogeochemistry. Her research focuses on the impacts of ecosystem disturbances (such as wildfires, insect outbreak, logging, etc.) on belowground processes. Specifically, Dr. Santos is interested in how disturbances and their interactions affect the response trajectory of soil carbon cycling and dynamics across various ecosystem types with the ultimate goal of improving the way Earth System models represent the impact of disturbances on belowground carbon storage in a changing world. She conducts empirical research in laboratory and in the field, and uses a suite of molecular and ecosystem-level methods to examine decomposition rates, biogeochemical transformations, mobilization, and transport of organic matter within the soil profile.
Dr. Santos is currently involved in the following projects: Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments - Arctic (NGEE-Arctic), Pilot BESSD LDRD (Pioneering multi-scale biological and environmental solutions for a
sustainable Earth.), and SoilCosm.
NGEE Arctic Phase 4: synthesis, soil properties, fire history, fire regime.
Pilot BESSD LDRD: automated soil CO2 fluxes, soil warming, moisture, temperature
SoilCosm: laboratory incubation, soil incubation, stable-isotope 13C-tracing of carbon compounds, priming effect
To learn more about Fernanda's past research and bio, visit her personal website at https://www.fsantosresearch.com/
Awards
2020. ESA Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) Interdisciplinary Power of Data Research Travel Award
2019. Soil Science Society of America/Range & Wildland Soils Divisions for the S.A. Wilde Early Career Achievement Award
2017. University of California Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship
2016. NSF ASSIST Travel Grant to attend the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Faculty Development Institute organized by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
2015. Novus Research Coordination Network Scientist Exchange Program
2015. Michigan State University/Committee on Institutional Cooperation/Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate
2013. Office of the Dean of the Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, QC, CUNY
2012. Paul Roux Scholarship Fund, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, QC, CUNY, 2012.
2012. University of Michigan Biological Station Mort Neff Graduate Student Research Fund
2011. University of Michigan Biological Station Henry Allan Gleason Fellowship
2011-2009. NSF-IGERT Biosphere-Atmosphere Research and Training Fellowship
2009-2007. CUNY The Graduate Center Science Fellowship
2009. Research Grant for CUNY Doctoral Students
2008. CUNY Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Summer Grant
2008. Sue Rosenberg Zalk Travel & Research Fund Award
2008-2007. NSF/CUNY Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Grant
2008. Geological Society of America Joint Annual Meeting Student Travel Fund Award
2006. Gamma, Theta, Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society
2006. Society of Woman Geographers Graduate Fellowship Award
Education
2014 Ph.D., Earth and Environmental Sciences, The Graduate Center, City University of NY
2007 MA, Physical Geography, Hunter College, City University of NY
2004 BS, Geography, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil