Siloa Willis received her B.Sc. in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2014 and is set to complete her Ph.D. in Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences from the same institution in May 2025. She is a passionate geoscientist and educator with a unique blend of technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills. Her research focuses on innovative approaches to teaching complex geoscience topics to undergraduates and developing an upper-level elective course that incorporates research backed curriculum designs and learning theories. Her work extends beyond academia, applying machine learning to geoscientific and climate problems, and developing practical tools like a Python-based geospatial analysis program for improved decision-making in carbon management. Driven by an intense curiosity about the world, she is always seeking new challenges, collaborations, and learning opportunities. Whether it is spending the evening coding a new visualizer for her city’s water quality data or building 3D models of her favorite animals, she approaches each project with creativity and persistence.

Robert J. Stern received his B.Sc. in Geology from the University of California at Davis in 1974 and his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from UC San Diego in 1979. He is a Professor of Geosciences and has served on the UTD faculty since 1982. His research interests include the following: 1. Evolution of the continental crust as approached by tectonic, chemical, and isotopic studies of modern processes and ancient products. Geographic foci of such studies include Izu-Bonin-Mariana island arc system in the Western Pacific, Neoproterozoic crust of NE Africa and Arabia, China, and Iran. These processes and products are studied using a wide range of analytical techniques, including major and trace element analyses, and radiogenic isotopic compositions of Sr, Nd, and Pb, and U-Pb zircon geochronology. 2. Geologic evolution of thickly sedimented basins, including the Gulf of Mexico,  the Aleutian Basin,  and the Permian Basin of W. Texas and SE New Mexico. 3. Geology of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. 4. Geoscience videos and animations. 5. Meteorites.