Education
Ph.D., MIT, Geophysics & Geology
S.M. and S.B. (simultaneous), MIT, Earth Sciences
Brief Bio
Carolyn joined the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) as Deputy Director in early 2025 after more than 18 years at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), where she was a ST-rank senior research geophysicist. Carolyn led the DOE-supported USGS Gas Hydrates Project, which advanced both energy resource and climate change objectives. In 2011, Carolyn wrote the gas hydrate resource appendix for MITEI’s Future of Natural Gas study. Over several decades, Carolyn has led research expeditions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans and on the Alaska North Slope and Southeastern US barrier islands.
Starting in summer 2022, Carolyn served as Acting Senior Science Advisor to the USGS Chief Scientist, and she was temporarily the Acting USGS Chief Scientist in January 2025. In these roles, Carolyn worked with senior officials at the Department of Interior (DOI), other departments and agencies, and OSTP, with a particular focus on USGS interdisciplinary science and on climate change/mitigation reports, marine minerals, and environmental compliance.
Carolyn was a geophysics professor at Georgia Tech from 1994 to 2006 and served as a National Science Foundation (NSF) program manager (IPA) from 9/2003 – 6/2006. She has served on advisory/review panels, including for the National Academies, NSF, and University of Tromso; editorial boards; and many scientific committees. Carolyn is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, a past Distinguished Lecturer for the Ocean Drilling Program, and a recipient of DOI’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor granted by the department.