Jessica Oster

Faculty Head

Stambaugh House

Jessica Oster (she, her, hers) is an associate professor in the department of Earth and environmental sciences. Her research involves understanding climate change in Earth’s past as it is recorded in the chemistry of mineral deposits from caves.  Jessica investigates questions about rainfall variability and fire activity through caves in California and Wyoming and on the island of Curaçao in the southern Caribbean. Jessica has experience mentoring students from the high school through the graduate level and currently serves as director of graduate studies in her department.

Jessica grew up in Kentucky where she first fell in love with caves. She earned her B.A. at Oberlin College and her PhD from the University of California, Davis. Jessica, her husband Neil Kelley (also on the faculty in Earth and environmental sciences) and their children Juniper and Roscoe are excited to build community in Stambaugh.