Patrick Wall is a PhD student in the Department of Earth Sciences at Syracuse University. He was nominated for this award by Dr. Linda Ivany, an Associate Professor in the same department.

Patrick's PhD research is in the field of Paleontology and specifically deals with the relationship between measures of diversity and the outcrop area of sedimentary rocks. The first chapter of his thesis is already in revision with Paleobiology, the premier journal of paleontological research. In summary, his research has concluded that if we want to understand the history of biological diversity on our planet through time, we need to take into account and correct for a strong bias in the fossil data arising from the amount of outcrop area we have available from different time intervals for sampling. His first paper will be of significant consequence in the paleobiological community and it will be widely cited for a number of years.

From here, he has decided to move on to a smaller-scale study of the same phenomenon using the very well-constrained record of the Devonian of New York State (expanding eventually to the rest of the Paleozoic). This study makes for a perfect microcosm of his aforementioned global work, and allows for much more confidence in the outcome. The extension of the area-diversity relationship in this way was Patrick's original idea - this new work in NY State is entirely his own. He has already presented results at the Geological Society of America annual meeting, and will soon be writing it up for publication.

Patrick consistently fills his schedule with sophisticated, work-intensive courses and activities. In addition to his impressive earth science and paleobiology background, he has developed an expertise in mathematics, organic chemistry, geochemistry, and biology beyond the introductory level. He has learned GIS, which is directly applicable to his dissertation research, and has taken several advanced statistics courses. He participated in the intensive Analytical Paleobiology course offered by the Paleobiology Database, and learned how to write code in r, a skill he now uses regularly for his research. The workload is apparently inconsequential for him, and he seems to master the material with ease, leaving much of his time free for research.

In recognition of Patrick’s many significant accomplishments in research, the Syracuse Chapter of Sigma Xi is pleased to present Patrick with the Outstanding Research Award at the Graduate Level.

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