Jocelyn A. Sessa

Jocelyn A. Sessa, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science at Drexel University. She is also an Associate Curator in the Invertebrate Paleontology Department at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Her research integrates fossil and modern data to study mollusk faunas' responses to environmental changes across geological timescales.

• Education: PhD in Geosciences (Pennsylvania State University, 2009), MS in Geology (University of Cincinnati, 2003), BA in Geological Sciences (SUNY Geneseo, 2000).

Her work focuses on ocean acidification, climate change, and paleobiology, using mollusks as model organisms. She investigates mass extinctions, past climatic shifts, and employs stable isotope analysis and CT scanning techniques. Her recent publications highlight mollusk responses to global warming and projects like the extending Ocean Drilling Pursuits (eODP) to synthesize geological data.

Students mentored by Sessa have contributed to studies on pteropods, ammonites, and sediment traps, with their work often appearing in journals like Frontiers in Marine Science and Geological Society of America Bulletin. Fieldwork spans the US Gulf Coast, California, Angola, and Romania.

Her scholarship emphasizes accessibility in science, with outreach efforts since 2007 targeting under-represented communities in the Philadelphia area.