About
Lucia R Profeta
Hi, I am Lucy! I am a PhD student studying low-temperature thermochronology to explore how Earth’s surface responded to past environmental conditions, landscape evolution events, and transitions that provide insight into both Earth’s past and future. My work combines geologic field methods, laboratory analyses, and quantitative interpretation to better understand the timing and pace of processes that shaped ancient environments.
At the core of my research is the question of how Earth records the passage of time: through minerals, landscapes, and the signals that slowly accumulate as tectonics, erosion, sedimentation, and environmental variability interact. I am particularly interested in how low-temperature thermochronologic systems can illuminate intervals in geologic time that may serve as analogs for Earth systems today.
Research & Scientific Approach
My scientific work focuses on:
- Low-temperature thermochronology (Apatite Fission Track)
- Tectonics, geochemistry, and petrology
- Surface processes and landscape evolution
- Paleoenvironments and the reconstruction of Earth’s dynamic history
- Integrating field observations with laboratory data
- Geoinformatics and open data
Across each of these domains, I aim to build clear, reproducible workflows that support collaborative science.
Bridging Science, UX, and Product Strategy
Before beginning my PhD, I worked in product management for geoscience software, where I learned to build user-centered systems, design intuitive workflows, and communicate complex information clearly.
These skills now complement my scientific work by helping me:
- Translate research methods and results into accessible formats
- Design clean data workflows and documentation
- Facilitate communication across interdisciplinary teams
- Structure scientific information in ways that support usability and collaboration
This combination of scientific training and user-centered design informs every part of my approach to research.
Social Profiles
Product Management
During my tenure at Columbia University (2019-2025) I was Senior Product Manager and co-PI for the IEDA suite of software tools for publishing and accessing geochemical data.
Outside of Research
Outside of academic work, I also do band and music photography, especially capturing live-performance environments. This creative work strengthens my visual communication skills and often informs how I think about layout, composition, and user experience in my scientific and digital projects.