Jessica Conroy

Jessica Conroy is a Professor in the School of Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with additional appointments in Earth Science and Environmental Change and Plant Biology. Her research program investigates climate variability across timescales using stable isotope geochemistry, paleolimnology, and climate modeling approaches.

Education:
Ph.D. (2011) and M.S. (2006) from the University of Arizona, B.A. (2003) from the College of Wooster.

Research Focus:
Conroy's lab specializes in reconstructing past climate dynamics through stable isotope analysis of geological archives. Key interests include: paleoclimate variability (interannual to millennial scales), isotope hydrology, atmospheric circulation patterns, ocean-atmosphere interactions in the tropical Pacific, loess-paleosol records, and climate responses to external forcings. Current projects examine isotopic signatures in precipitation, seawater, and vapor; paleowind reconstructions; and modern wind trend analysis.

Publication Trends:
Her recent articles (2022-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on isotopic proxies for climate reconstruction, with emphasis on tropical Pacific dynamics, Laurentide Ice Sheet influences, loess chronology, and methodological innovations including machine learning applications. Studies frequently utilize multi-proxy approaches across diverse archives like lacustrine sediments, marine carbonates, and aeolian deposits.

Awards and Honors:

• NSF CAREER Award (2019)
• Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (2017)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent (2015, 2017, 2018)
• Arnold O. Beckman Award, UIUC Campus Research Board (2013)
• DISCCRS VIII Participant (2013)

Lab Leadership:
Conroy directs an active research group (Conroy Lab) investigating past, present, and future climate variability using proxy records, observational data, and model simulations. The lab maintains field programs in the Galápagos, Palau, and midcontinental North America.