Patricia Gregg

Patricia Gregg is a Professor in the Department of Earth Science & Environmental Change at the University of Illinois, with affiliations at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She holds the LAS Dean's Distinguished Professorial Scholar and GeoThrust Scholar titles. Her research focuses on volcano geophysics, mid-ocean ridge processes, and magma dynamics. She earned a Ph.D. from MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a B.S. from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now MS&T).

Her work combines thermomechanical modeling with field and seafloor data to study magma reservoir evolution and mid-ocean ridge crust formation. Notable contributions include investigations into volcanic deformation, melt migration, and stress-triggered eruptions. She leads the Gregg Lab and participates in expeditions like the OASIS mission to explore submarine volcanoes.

Key research themes include: (1) rheological controls on magma reservoir behavior, (2) geodynamic modeling of mid-ocean ridges, and (3) statistical data assimilation for eruption forecasting. Her fieldwork spans Alaska, the Galápagos, and the East Pacific Rise.

Recent projects include:

• Modeling magma system evolution at Makushin Volcano, Alaska
• Developing ensemble Kalman filter frameworks for volcanic deformation
• Investigating off-axis seamount geochemistry at 8°20'N East Pacific Rise

Awards include the GeoThrust Scholar recognition and LAS Dean's Distinguished Professorial Scholar distinction. She teaches courses such as Volcano Geophysics, Mid-Ocean Ridge Tectonics, and Probing the Earth's Interior.