{"id":2578,"date":"2026-08-12T12:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/?p=2578"},"modified":"2026-08-12T12:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T17:08:15","slug":"the-change-a-semester-can-bring-with-leah-cecchini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/the-change-a-semester-can-bring-with-leah-cecchini\/","title":{"rendered":"The Change a Semester Can Bring With Leah Cecchini"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discipline Tags: volcanology, modeling, remote sensing, hazard mitigation<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Leah Cecchini<\/a>\u2019s drive is evident from the moment you meet her. This was true in November of 2025 during our initial interview, and even more so during our follow-up conversation in July. When I first spoke to Leah about her graduate research, she was working on a Master\u2019s thesis focusing on how pyroclastic flow is affected by topography using tree fall data. It was clear from the outset that she was passionate about this work and ready to make the most of her time in graduate school.\"\" <\/span><\/p>\n

Back in November when I asked Leah about her plans post-Master\u2019s degree, she was open to the idea of a PhD but unsure what she would look for in a program or where she\u2019d be heading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe thought of finishing my Master\u2019s is daunting,\u201d she shared. \u201cShould I take a break? Should I go straight in? Do I prioritize fieldwork? What\u2019s the funding landscape going to look like in 2 years?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On top of her questions, so much can change in a semester. Every experiment run, dataset analyzed, field trip taken, and conversation shared can change perspective\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 8 months since we last spoke, Leah has committed to staying on with <\/span>Dr. Jim Gardner<\/span><\/a> for a PhD. That decision was made official after a couple months of introspection and conversing with collaborators\u2014but Leah knew her answer from the moment the offer was extended.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I loved the Jackson School. Undergrad taught me that. The first year of my Master\u2019s taught me that I love the problem-solving aspect of research,\u201d she reflected. \u201cI love being independent and self-driven while also having the opportunity to collaborate with the incredible faculty here.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leah had mentioned in our initial interview that she was feeling the time crunch of a Master\u2019s. I was curious if the decision to switch to PhD had alleviated any of that stress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely not. If anything, there\u2019s more pressure. I\u2019m more driven.\u201d Leah has an incredible breadth of research she is excited about and set on sharing as much of it with the broader community as she can before she graduates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having gotten through the qualifying exam process myself back in February, I asked Leah how she was feeling about suddenly having to prepare for the exam as she transitions to a new degree path.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found out less than an hour ago that I\u2019m taking my quals this spring, so not quite sure,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m ready though\u2014it\u2019s just a matter of getting it all on paper.\u201d She attributes her readiness in large part to the supportive community of fellow graduate students and her advisor here at Jackson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In November, I was curious what challenges Leah may be running into as she transitioned out of undergrad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe sheer amount of data is staggering. The management of it is my biggest challenge right now,\u201d she shared. After wrapping up her first year as a graduate student, Leah says the challenge of data management is still there but now it\u2019s more exciting than anything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredible. I have this unique data set and the opportunity to share it with, yes, the scientific community but beyond that as well.\u201d She\u2019s headed to <\/span>AGU<\/span><\/a> this December to present this work for the first time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A key topic Leah and I connected on is the importance of scientific communication outside of your subdiscipline. Leah plans to use the third chapter of her dissertation to incorporate social outreach in collaboration with the Smithsonian Museum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored that I will have the opportunity to share my work with a community outside of the sciences,\u201d she said. “I think people don\u2019t realize how diverse the geosciences are and how much of your everyday life is entwined with the work we do.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Geoscience has been a part of Leah\u2019s everyday life since she was a young girl learning about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius\u2014a geologic event that she shared she would love to witness given an opportunity to time travel. \u201cNot only is it infamous but it holds a special place in my heart for inspiring my dream of becoming a volcanologist.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leah\u2019s drive extends beyond volcanic peaks. When I spoke with her in November, she was an active member of both intramural and league soccer teams, playing volleyball, and practicing guitar. But shortly after our November meeting, Leah tore the ACL in her right knee. I asked how this mandatory and unforeseen break from sports has shifted her work and personal life. \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I finally gave myself time to pick up a book\u2014imagine that,\u201d she laughed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s getting better every day. If anything, it has given me a mindset shift when it comes to how hard I\u2019m working.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to the injury, Leah told me she found herself working 10+ hours some days. But the forced breaks of physical therapy have shown her that she\u2019s capable of accomplishing her academic goals without spending all her waking hours in the office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve definitely learned that the key is to average out your work rather than having these crazy high and low peaks.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To wrap up our conversation, I asked Leah what message or advice she had for our readers. Back in November she had said, \u201cpush yourself beyond what\u2019s comfortable. My greatest moments of growth came from the classes that were the most daunting.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After finishing her first year of graduate school, her advice is this: \u201ctake a moment to step back and see how far you\u2019ve come. Look ahead to where you\u2019re going. Don\u2019t miss the forest for the trees.\u201d Apt for this volcanologist pushing the boundaries of how we reconstruct flow using evidence from tree fall.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discipline Tags: volcanology, modeling, remote sensing, hazard mitigation Leah Cecchini\u2019s drive is evident from the moment you meet her. This was true in November of 2025 during our initial interview, and even more so during our follow-up conversation in July. When I first spoke to Leah about her graduate research,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":431,"featured_media":2586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[183,171,182,180,179,181,184,178],"class_list":["post-2578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-degree-switch","tag-grad-student-life","tag-injury","tag-intramural-sports","tag-mount-st-helens","tag-soccer","tag-tree-fall-research","tag-volcanism"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/431"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2578"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2594,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578\/revisions\/2594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/science-yall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}