Education
Ph.D. Geology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2015 – 2020
Dissertation : Stable isotope and trace element fractionation and implications for chemical weathering rates | Advisor: Jennifer Druhan, Committee: Tom Johnson, Jim Best, and Rob Sanford
B.A. Earth Sciences, Boston University (with honors), 2015
Undergraduate Research Thesis: Chromium (VI) reduction by Fe (II) oxidation and stable Cr isotope fractionation | Undergraduate Advisor: Andrew Kurtz (project leaders : Jennifer Druhan, Kate Maher)
Research appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell Univeristy – starting January, 2022
Provost’s Faculty Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University – July, 2020 to present
Mentors : Lou Derry, Geoffery Abers
Visiting Researcher, Géoressources et Environnement, Bordeaux INP ENSEGID & BRGM – September, 2020
Mentors : Alexandre Pryet, Olivier Attea, Marc Saltel
Visiting Researcher, Géochimie des enveloppes externes, Institut de physique du globe de Paris (IPGP) – 2017 to 2020
Mentors : Jérôme Gaillardet, Julien Bouchez, Pascal Louvat
Graduate Student Researcher, Department of Geology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – 2015 to 2020
Advisor: Jennifer Druhan
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Geological Sciences, Stanford University – 2014 to 2015
PI : Jennifer Druhan, Kate Maher, Undergraduate advisor : Andrew Kurtz
Engineer and Research Intern, Suitland, Maryland, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration – summer 2013
Mentor : Chris Kilzer
Honors, Fellowships, Awards
Provost’s Faculty Fellowship, Cornell University – 2020
Outstanding Student Poster and PICO (OSPP) Award, European General Assembly – 2019
Chateaubriand STEM Fellowship, Institut du globe de Paris – 2017
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRFP) – 2016
Sloan Scholarship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Minority Ph.D. (MPHD) Program – 2016
Student Travel Grant, American General Union Fall Meeting – 2016
Texas/Louisiana Alumni Geology Graduate Fellowship, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign – 2015
Publications
Fernandez N.M., Zhang X., and Druhan J.L. (2019) Silicon isotopic re-equilibration during amorphous silica precipitation and implications for isotopic signatures in geochemical proxies, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 262, 104 - 127. link -> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.07.029
Druhan J.L. and Fernandez N.M. (2019) Isotopic communication across the water–rock interface. Preservation in solids and signatures in fluids, E3S Web Conferences, 16th International Symposium on Water-Rock interaction and 13th International Symposium on Applied Geochemistry, 98, 1–6. link -> https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20199812004
Druhan J.L., Fernandez N.M., Wang J.J., Dietrich W.E., and Rempe D. (2017) Seasonal shifts in the solute ion ratios of vadose zone rock moisture from the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory, Acta Geochimica, 36, 385–388. link -> https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-017-0169-z
Submitted, Under Review, in prep
Fernandez N.M., Perez-Fodich A., Derry L.A., and Druhan J.L. A first look at Ge/Si partitioning during amorphous silica precipitation: Implications for Ge/Si as a tracer for silicate weathering, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, under review.
Fernandez N.M., Gaillardet, J., Bouchez J., Chorover, J., Derry, L., Druhan, J.L. Silicon isotope-discharge relationships in small catchments spanning different climates and lithologies, in prep.
Conferences
AGU Fall Meeting (2019): Fernandez N.M., Perez-Fodich A., Derry L.A., Druhan J.L. Silicon isotopic and Ge/Si fractionation during amorphous silica precipitation: Implications for silicate weathering proxies. Oral presentation, Abstract 552738, Session V34A-07, San Fransisco, CA, 7–13 Dec.
European General Assembly (2019) : Fernandez N.M., Bouchez J., Derry L.A., Chorover J., Gaillardet J., and Druhan J.L. δ30Si – discharge relationships in small catchments spanning different climates and lithologies. Poster presentation, Abstract 17697-3, Session 21, Vienna, AT, 7–12 April.
Computational Methods in Water Resources XXII (2018): Fernandez N.M., Zhang X., Louvat P., Druhan J.L. A transient approach to modeling isotopic equilibration during water–rock interactions. Poster presentation, Abstract 36:2813, Saint Malo, FR, 3–7 June.
Goldschmidt Conference (2017): Fernandez N.M., Gaillardet J., Druhan J.L. Silicon isotopic reequilibration during amorphous silica precipitation and implications for Critical Zone processes. Poster presentation, Paris, FR, 13-18 August.
AGU Fall Meeting (2016): Fernandez N.M., Druhan J.L., Huber C., Potrel, A., Jacobson A.D. Surface area dependence of calcium isotopic reequilibration in carbonates: Implications for isotopic signatures in the weathering zone. Oral presentation, Abstract V54A-02, San Fransisco, CA, 12–16 December.
North-Central GSA (2016): Fernandez N.M., Wang J.J., Rempe D.M., Druhan J.L. Determining vadose zone geochemical and groundwater processes within a soil-weathered argillite mantled hillslope. Oral presentation, 18–19 April.
Outreach
Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, Arlington, VA – 2018
SACNAS, Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science – 2016
Champaign-Urbana One-to-One Mentor Program, http://cu1to1.org – 2016
Undergraduate mentor, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign – 2015