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