Trista Vick-Majors

Trista Vick-Majors is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Technological University. Her research bridges microbial ecology and biogeochemistry in aquatic ecosystems, with specialized focus on polar environments and ice-covered systems.

Her educational background includes a PhD and MSc in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from Montana State University, and a BA in Biology from Colorado College. This foundation supports her investigation of microbial community interactions with elemental cycles in extreme environments.

Research interests center on microbial ecology in cryosphere systems, examining how physical and chemical factors influence microbial metabolism in both seasonal ice environments and permanent Antarctic ice covers. Her work addresses critical questions about energetic constraints on microbial life during ecosystem transitions and seasonal changes, with implications for global biogeochemical cycles.

Publication trends reveal consistent contributions to Antarctic subglacial lake research since 2016, with recent work focusing on Mercer Subglacial Lake sediment analysis, biogeochemical connectivity beneath ice sheets, and microbial responses to environmental change. Her research spans glaciology, limnology, and microbial ecology with strong interdisciplinary collaboration.

Current research is supported through major Antarctic science initiatives including the Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access project and Winter Network Project, providing field opportunities in extreme environments and access to specialized drilling and sampling technologies for subglacial exploration.

Her laboratory work emphasizes environmentally clean access to pristine subglacial environments, with research groups focused on microbial community analysis in ice-covered aquatic systems and biogeochemical processes in polar sediments.