Dr. Rasheed Ajala

I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, where I am developing state-of-the-art geophysical techniques and utilizing artificial intelligence to decipher the enigmatic geology and tectonics of the African continent. I received my Ph.D. in May 2022 for my research on seismic inversion and modeling in Southern California and the Indo-Burma subduction zone, where I spent several months deploying and maintaining a broadband seismograph network.

My research focuses on deriving the most accurate image of the Earth’s interior and coupling that information with numerical modeling to understand the nature and evolution of our planet across all scales. Thus, my work requires advances on numerous fronts, including the development of scalable imaging algorithms, the design and deployment of optimal surveys for recording various geophysical signals, and the adaptation of creative solutions to problems that would otherwise require unattainable computational resources.

Before joining the group, I worked as a seismologist at an insurance company, quantifying seismic risk, as an exploration geophysicist in the energy industry, tackling complex imaging problems, and as an earthquake seismologist on a U.S. government contract.