Morgan Whitcomb
Ph.D Candidate
Location
Climate & Space Research Building 2455 Hayward Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143
Education
In progress : University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI – Ph.D Candidate in Applied Physics
May 2014 : Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO – Bachelors of Science in Chemistry and Physics
Teaching
Fall 2021 : GSI for PHYSICS 241
Winter 2021 : GSI for PHYSICS 141
Fall 2019 : TA for CLIMATE 105
Summer 2018 : Physics Graduate Record Examination (PGRE) Preparatory Course Instructor
Research Interests
I study the process by which icebergs break off from larger masses of ice, known as iceberg calving. Specifically, I am interested in modeling this process from Antarctic ice shelves, floating masses of ice that form where glaciers meet the ocean. The stability of these ice shelves is linked to the rate at which freshwater from the feeding glaciers is lost to the ocean, and gives rise to uncertainties about exactly how much this loss will affect future sea level rise as the global climate warms. I use a model framework known as damage mechanics to represent how crevasses, or cracks, in the ice move and change over time.
Responsibilities
November 2018 : Volunteer for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) national organization
January 2018 : Co-chair of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) Trans Health Caucus
September 2016 : Executive board member of the Graduates Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (GoSTEM) student organization at the University of Michigan
Presentations
Invited Talks
October 2016 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Cathles, M.; Lipscomb, W. and Price, S. Damage mechanics in the Community Ice Sheet Model. A Center for Space and Earth Sciences University Project Seminar, Los Alamos, NM.
Conference Presentations
April 2019 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S. and Martin, D. Simulating Pine Island Glacier extents under multiple forcing scenarios using damage mechanics. Poster Presentation. Michigan Geophysical Union meeting, Ann Arbor, MI.
December 2018 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S.; Martin, D. and Lipscomb, W. Simulating Pine Island Glacier extents under multiple forcing scenarios using damage mechanics. Poster Presentation. American Geophysical Union meeting, Washington, DC.
June 2018 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S. and Lipscomb, W. Modeling ice shelves using damage mechanics. Oral Presentation. Community Earth System Model workshop, Boulder, CO.
December 2017 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S. and Lipscomb, W. Towards a universal calving law: Modeling ice shelves using damage mechanics. Poster Presentation. American Geophysical Union meeting, New Orleans, LA.
November 2017 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S. and Lipscomb, W. Towards a universal calving law: Modeling ice shelves using damage mechanics. Poster Presentation. Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics conference, Chicago, IL.
October 2017 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S. and Lipscomb, W. Towards a universal calving law: Modeling ice shelves using damage mechanics. Oral Presentation. West Antarctic Ice Sheet workshop, Coupeville, WA.
December 2016 : WHITCOMB, M.; Cathles, M.; Bassis, J.; Price, S. and Lipscomb, W. Damage mechanics in the Community Ice Sheet Model. American Geophysical Union meeting, San Francisco, CA.
February 2016 : WHITCOMB, M.; Bassis, J.; Cathles, L. M.; Lipscomb, W; Hoffman, M. and Price, S. Implementing damage mechanics in the Community Ice Sheet Model. Oral Presentation. Land Ice Working Group meeting, Boulder, CO.
Awards
April 2019 : Second place poster presentation in Climate & Atmospheric Sciences, Michigan Geophysical Union meeting, Ann Arbor, MI.
April 2015 : National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Summer 2014 : University of Michigan Regents’ Fellowship
