Current Membership
Brianna Isola, SAC Chair [brianna.isola@unh.edu]
Brianna Isola is a 5th-year space physics Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Hampshire. Her main interests and expertise include magnetospheric modeling, the inner magnetospheric electric field, and machine learning/AI for space weather forecasting. She hopes to bring her perspective and previous studentship roles to make AGU an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students.
Alvin Angeles, SAC Co-Chair [alvin.angeles@unh.edu]
Alvin Angeles is a fourth-year PhD student in Heliophysics at the University of New Hampshire. His research focuses on investigating the behavior of small-scale solar wind turbulence. Prior to this, he earned his bachelors from the University of Colorado Boulder in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Alvin is passionate about fostering cross-disciplinary science collaboration and scientific advocacy through public policy, particularly in the realm of the Sun-Earth system. Outside of his academic pursuits, Alvin enjoys spending his free time outdoors hiking, skiing, and cheering on the Denver Broncos.
Onyinye G. Nwankwo, SAC WebMaster and Member [nwankwog@umich.edu]
Onyinye Nwankwo is a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate in Atmospheric and Space Sciences at the University of Michigan, specializing in the variability of the ionosphere-thermosphere system and the impacts of space weather. Her research combines computational modeling (GITM simulations) with observational data to study geomagnetic storms and their effects on communication and navigation technologies. Beyond her research, she is actively involved in mentoring first-generation STEM students and advocating for inclusive practices in space science education.
Tyler Eddy, SAC Member
Tyler Eddy is a 5th-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research is in space instrumentation with an emphasis on time-of-flight mass spectrometers as well as in situ plasma composition and kinetic particle measurements of the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres. In his spare time, Tyler helps manage K-12 science outreach events for after-school and summer programs in surrounding communities.
Hanieh Karimi, SAC Member
Hanieh Karimi is a 3rd-year PhD student in Space Science at the University of New Hampshire, pursuing her doctorate under the advisorship of Matthew Argall. She is engaged in the project “Relative Entropy in Reconnection and Turbulence: Quantifying Its Characteristics and the Influence of Electromagnetic Fields,” which utilizes data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Her research focuses on identifying and quantifying key mechanisms of energy conversion in collisionless plasmas, such as magnetic reconnection and turbulence. Outside of her research, Hanieh is passionate about running.
Kathryn Wilbanks, SAC Member
After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington, Kathryn Wilbanks is now a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan in the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Department. Her research focuses on the impacts of extreme space weather events and their effects on the whole Sun-to-Earth system. Kathryn spends some of her spare time on Space Science policy and advocacy while also serving as a student representative for the Space Weather Workshop.
Vincent Ledvina, SAC Member
Vincent Ledvina is a Space Physics Ph.D. student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, researching auroral beads and using citizen science to study rare auroral phenomena. Vincent is also a SciX ambassador, an intern at the Aerospace Corporation, and the student representative for the Space Weather Advisory Group, a White House Federal Advisory Committee. Vincent saw his first aurora in Minnesota when he was four years old during the Halloween Storms of 2003, and since then, he has had a passion for aurora chasing and night sky photography. In his free time, he runs an aurora tour business and hosts an annual photography workshop in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Erika Hathaway, SAC Member
Erika Hathaway is a 5th-year PhD candidate in Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan, where she studies plasma instabilities in the inner magnetosphere of the outer planets. Her research focuses both on plasma wave & particle instrumentation and kinetic modeling. Outside of her research, Erika maintains an active leadership role in multiple groups, including the U-M graduate school, Geospace Environment Modeling community, graduate society for Women in Engineering, and in her free time, enjoys baking and collecting gems & minerals.
Neha Srivastava, SAC Member
Neha Srivastava is a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Hampshire. Her research focuses on studying the wave-discontinuity interactions in the dayside magnetosphere, which can trigger sudden impulses, primarily through global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) modeling. She has recently expanded her work to include the classification of discontinuities in in-situ solar wind data. Beyond her research, she has a passion for chasing sunsets - especially the breathtaking hues of winter evenings. She is also enthusiastic about cooking regional cuisines whenever the opportunity arises.