Sophia White is an incoming junior for the University of California, Los Angeles for fall '22 majoring in Geology. After attending Seattle University from '17 - '18, she studied at her local community colleges, College of the Canyons and Pasadena City College, to better pursue her passion for earth science.

Sophia has enjoyed doing geologic field work such as measuring rock sections of the Latham shale and mapping contacts within the Poleta folds. She worked for two years as a geoscience and chemistry tutor at Pasadena City College. This job gave her an intimate view into the journeys of nontraditional students, and it inspired her to pursue a career in academics. Her experiences as a research intern have solidified her goal of earning a PhD as well. She is very passionate about healing soils from agricultural and chemical abuse, so she would like to learn more about geochemistry and geomicrobiology.

Her work as a SCEC intern uses QGIS to map earthquake gates (splays, gaps, bends, etc.) on surface ruptures to help her research mentor, Alba Rodrgiuez-Padilla, analyze the conditions in which these gates allow a rupture to propagate.

Outside of academics, she is often rock climbing, skateboarding, watching youtube videos, pet sitting, or hiking.

SCEC Participation

SCEC Intern (2022)