Mentor: Linta Reji, Assistant Professor, Geophysical Sciences
Wael Kouki is a second-year Geophysics major driven by a deep interest in understanding and addressing climate-related challenges through an interdisciplinary lens. His academic focus bridges geophysics, biology, and applied mathematics to model complex environmental systems. He is especially drawn to extreme environments and the dynamic interplay between organic and inorganic systems that shape them. Wael’s scientific foundation includes experience in genetic analysis and molecular phylogenetics through his work on the Plant and Fungal Trees of Life Project (PAFTOL) at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. There, he resolved the taxonomy of multiple species endemic to Madagascar, with findings that directly supported IUPAC red listing efforts, contributing to global conservation assessments. Wael is passionate about applying scientific theory to real-world challenges, particularly those related to environmental change. This summer, Wael will be working with Dr. Linta Reji to study how hydrological fluctuations shape microbial communities aiming to better understand the sensitivity and resilience of wetland ecosystems to changing water levels. A firm believer in the power of cross-disciplinary thinking, Wael brings a systems-level approach to tackling some of the most urgent environmental problems of our time.