Disha C. Okhai, Ph.D.

I’m Disha, a third generation Indo-Tanzanian, who is passionate about making Earth Science and other STEM fields more accessible.

My PhD research at Purdue University broadly focuses on studying ancient volcanoes to understand the rates at which silicic magma reservoirs are constructed, the processes that occur during and after construction, and how these rates and processes relate to the system’s potential for eruption.

I supplement high precision U-Pb zircon CA-ID-TIMS geochronology with field observations, petrologic information, and whole rock major and trace element geochemistry to determine whether magma reservoir construction rates reflect build up by assimilation of small increments of magma or by geologically instantaneous additions of large magmatic volumes. I am also interested in exploring how the growth conditions of a subsurface magma reservoir relate to whether it erupts, its eruption mechanisms, and its eruption timescales.

Understanding magmatic construction mechanisms and processes, and how they impact volcanic evolution leading up to eruption, can be valuable for informing volcanic hazard management.

After my PhD, I want to pursue a teaching focused career, at a primarily undergraduate institution, where I can support and encourage BIPOC students and women to pursue careers in STEM. My undergraduate experiences at Wellesley College have positively impacted my interest and confidence in the predominantly male field of Earth Science, and I hope to bring change by supporting a more diverse next generation of scientists.