Mitigating Change - Profile Shoshi Reich

Shoshi Reich’s research at the cutting edge of climate science combines her love of applied mathematics with her drive to make an impact in understanding our planet. A fourth year graduate student at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Science, Shoshi is part of the Computational Research in Ice and Ocean Systems Group (CRIOS), working on innovative ways to model and understand Earth’s oceans. 

Her journey into computational science was not a straight path. “Like most 18-year-olds, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” she reflects. Initially pursuing environmental engineering as an undergraduate at Northwestern University, she later pivoted to applied mathematics, drawn by both its rigor and the foundational tools it offered. “I missed the more theoretical side of things,” Shoshi admits. It wasn’t until she discovered climate modeling—a field where applied mathematics meets climate science—that everything clicked.

Now, Shoshi’s research focuses on data assimilation and reduced-order modeling. One of her current projects assimilates high-resolution satellite data into global ocean models. To address this, she’s also developing reduced-order models to make these simulations more efficient. “It allows us to ask ‘what-if’ questions, like the climate change if the winds change slightly, how does that affect ocean circulation” she adds.  

While her work is deeply technical, Shoshi credits her applied math background as the foundation for her success. “My undergraduate experience laid the foundation for my graduate research, shaping my interests through coursework and guiding me toward the questions I now explore,” she notes. From the Navier-Stokes equations that support ocean modeling to simple linear algebra, her mathematical training enables her to navigate the complex challenges her field presents. 

However, those interdisciplinary challenges also come with their own hurdles. “You have to know enough about each field—math, climate science, computational methods—to connect the dots,” Shoshi explains. Even communicating with collaborators can be tricky, as each discipline speaks its own technical language. “It’s a lot of learning how to speak ‘math’ and ‘science’ at the same time,” she laughs.

Shoshi’s passion for climate science is also personal. Growing up in Southern California, she’s witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of climate change, from wildfires to droughts. “It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening, but also frustrating because we’ve seen it coming for so long,” she says. Despite the challenges of convincing skeptics, Shoshi believes that improving communication about climate models and their uncertainties could help bridge the gap. “If we can communicate what these uncertainties mean, it could make a real impact,” she shares.

Beyond her research, Shoshi finds balance through pottery, a hobby she picked up during college. “I kind of just fell into it,” she says, recalling how her work-study job at Northwestern’s student arts center allowed her to take free pottery classes. Even now, she makes time to throw pots at a local ceramics studio to take a break from the rigor of computational science.

Looking ahead, Shoshi’s goals for 2025 include completing her research proposal, a milestone that sets the stage for her dissertation. “It’s [basically like] a qualifying exam where I present what I’ve done so far and outline what I’ll do for my Ph.D.,” she explains. 

Ultimately, Shoshi hopes her work contributes to better understanding and mitigating climate change. She is particularly proud of her role in advancing NASA’s ECCO (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean) project, a global ocean model that brings together researchers from across the world. “I’m just one small part of a big team, but together, we’re creating something that can really make a difference,” she says.

With her unique ability to use applied math and climate science, Shoshi Reich is not only advancing the field but also inspiring others to find their niche in this critical area of research. Her journey is proof of the power of interdisciplinary thinking and the impact of pursuing what you love—one equation, one model, and one clay pot at a time.