Laura A. Stevens

Laura A. Stevens is an Associate Professor of Climate and Earth Surface Processes at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Department of Earth Sciences and serving as a fellow at University College. Her research focuses on the hydrological drivers of ice-sheet deformation, particularly in the context of climate change.

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s in Geosciences, Wellesley College
  • PhD in Geophysics, MIT–Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Columbia University)

Stevens investigates how surface lakes on ice sheets fracture and drain water to their bases, influencing ice-sheet dynamics and sea-level rise. Her work combines observational techniques and theoretical models to analyze interactions between lake drainages and their environmental impacts. At Radcliffe, she collaborates with Harvard’s polar oceanographers to advance fjord-ice-sheet dynamics research.

Scientific Awards:

• American Geophysical Union’s Horton Research Grant
• European Geosciences Union’s Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists
• Editor’s citation for excellence in refereeing, Geophysical Research Letters