Lesly Silva

I am currently an undergraduate at the University of Washington, where I will graduate in Spring 2026 with a degree in Earth and Space Sciences, focusing on Biology, and a minor in Data Science. I am passionate about understanding how life and Earth’s environments have influenced each other over geologic time.

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My academic interests include paleoenvironments, carbonate systems, and the ways in which sedimentary processes record interactions between biology, climate, and tectonics. I am currently working on two research projects. My senior thesis explores the Wenatchee and Chumstick Formations in central Washington, where I utilize sedimentology, fossil leaves, and detrital zircon geochronology to study environmental changes during the Eocene–Oligocene transition. I am also involved in a second project using hydrogen isotope data to examine modern rain shadow patterns across the Pacific Northwest as a baseline for interpreting ancient trends.

 

Outside of research, I am deeply committed to making geoscience more inclusive and accessible. I participate in outreach through the Burke Museum’s Girls in Science program and mentorship initiatives like IBIS and Geo-Futures. Long-term, I aim to pursue graduate research in sedimentary systems and geobiology while developing community-based science programs that connect people with land, history, and opportunity.