Jenny Suckale

Jenny Suckale is an Associate Professor at Stanford University, where she holds appointments in Geophysics, Computational and Mathematical Engineering, and Environmental Engineering. Her work focuses on understanding natural disasters and reducing the risks they pose to communities, blending rigorous physics-based research with real-world societal applications. She is driven by the belief that science can inform more sustainable and equitable solutions when paired with interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with decision-makers.

After earning a master’s degree in theoretical physics, Jenny spent several years as a scientific consultant in international disaster management, primarily in the South-West Pacific. That experience sparked her passion for geophysics, which she views as a powerful intersection of nonlinear physics and critical societal challenges. To strengthen her role in public decision-making, she completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School before earning her PhD in Geophysics from MIT in 2011. She later held the Ziff Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Harvard Center for the Environment before joining Stanford in 2014.

Jenny’s research excellence has been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including the Department of Defense Young Investigator Program Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. federal honor for early-career scientists and engineers. Through her research, teaching, and public engagement, she continues to advance science that not only deepens understanding of Earth systems but also helps protect lives and communities worldwide.