Highlighting College Star: Audrey Tan at Scripps

Audrey Tan, a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) student at the University of California San Diego, is conducting research on the impacts of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on biodiversity, lives, and livelihoods across the Pacific Ocean.

Tan's project is being supported by the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation and The Straits Times. Scripps Oceanography, where Tan is currently studying, is one of the world's most important centers for global earth science research and education.

Before her admission to Scripps, Tan was affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Communications Officer. She also served as the environment correspondent for The Straits Times, the national newspaper of Singapore.

Tan's interest in researching ENSO stems from its impact on communities in Southeast Asia during the 2015 El Niño event. She hopes to use the knowledge gained at Scripps to improve the mainstream climate discourse in Singapore and the region.

Tan's research at Scripps can be found on her Capstone project. Her capstone chair is Corey Gabriel, and Shang-Ping Xie is on her capstone advisory committee.

Tan is grateful for the patience and support shown by her professors and PhD students at Scripps. She is concerned about not being able to continue her studies forever at Scripps. After completing her studies, she plans to return to Singapore and continue her career as an environment reporter at The Straits Times.

Tan aims to tell the stories of individuals impacted by climate change to a wider audience. She can be found on Twitter @STaudreyt.

Scripps Oceanography operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels. Each year, Birch Aquarium at Scripps welcomes 500,000 visitors.

Tan chose to attend Scripps for graduate school due to the quality of research done there and its relevance to climate change. She studied sociology at the National University of Singapore where she received her bachelor's degree.