Geology student hopes to impact climate change through her research

For over half a decade, Kathryn Graham '21, MS '24 has called Binghamton home.

Graham, who is from Union Springs, N.Y., describes her upbringing as rural; she spent the majority of her youth outdoors. She chose to attend Binghamton as an undergraduate because of its proximity, but more importantly, the First-year Research Immersion (FRI) program caught her eye. The FRI program provides first-year students with a three-semester authentic research experience that builds strong connections and acts as a launchpad for a successful career.

Graham's thought process for choosing environmental science as a major was simple.

"If there's a difference I can make in terms of helping the environment," she said, "then that's what I want to do."

Following her graduation in 2021, Graham took a year off from education to work. She returned to Binghamton the following year to pursue a master's degree in geology.

This summer, she began working toward her PhD in geology, which she expects to complete in 2027.

"There's a lot of overlap between geology and environmental science. Geology is still really relevant in terms of helping the environment," Graham explained.

She spent her summer days in the lab with fellow graduate student Ying Dan Lin growing halite crystals to replicate natural fluid inclusion banding. Through a process called nucleation-assisted microthermometry, in which a laser shoots through fluid inclusions to create a vapor bubble, researchers can identify the temperature from the time period and environment that the sample is from.

Graham is thrilled to have access to ancient samples, specifically ones from around 250 million years ago at the Permian-Triassic boundary. The goal is to take these ancient samples, analyze temperature changes over different periods and regions, then apply them to the Earth today and predict what will happen in the future.

"When you understand the temperatures of the past, you can get a better understanding of what our future might look like," she said.

Graham said her experience as a Binghamton student pursuing three different degrees over a projected eight years has been great, and she praised the small and personal nature of the Department of Earth Sciences.

"On a departmental basis, you can find your community, place, and where you belong," she said.

A nice, recent addition to Graham's life has been her puppy, Luna.

"Before classes started, my boyfriend and I would bring her to campus and camp out in the Graduate Student Lounge in the library," she said. "So, she's been around and has smelled all the smells on campus!"

Graham won a summer photo contest hosted by Binghamton Grad Admissions that featured photos of her work in the lab, as well as sweet pictures of Luna. They can be seen on the Office of Recruitment and Graduate Admissions' Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. For her winnings, Graham was awarded a T-shirt and a $50 gift card to the Binghamton University Bookstore, and was chosen as the subject for this feature story!

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