Ashley Arroyo

After graduate school, I wanted to use my technical expertise in an applied manner. Working at the Lab on oceanography problems with real-world impact has allowed me to do that.

What made you decide to pursue a career here?

I joined the Laboratory in July 2025, right after I finished my PhD in earth and planetary sciences at Yale University. My thesis research focused on the drivers of dissolved oxygen evolution in the Arctic Ocean and involved multiple month-long trips to the Beaufort Sea region, which is north of Alaska, to collect data. After graduate school, I wanted to use my technical expertise in an applied manner. Working at the Lab on oceanography problems with real-world impact has allowed me to do that.

What is the most exciting and/or challenging part of your work?

At the Lab, I've been learning how to apply my oceanography knowledge to important problems that I'm not used to thinking about as an oceanographer who primarily studied water-mass evolution in the Arctic Ocean. These problems relate to ocean acoustics, including the influence of water-column properties such as temperature and salinity. For example, I've been working on a project to identify locations where and scenarios when a new Lab-developed technology for measuring upper-ocean sound speed will be valuable in improving our ability to model how sound moves through the ocean given its physical environment.

How did you become interested in STEM and your field of study?

Since I was a little kid, I've been interested in weather, particularly fascinated by tornadoes and hurricanes. When I was sick in the hospital at five years old, the nurse asked if I wanted to watch cartoons, but I asked her if she could instead put on The Weather Channel. Math was always my favorite subject in school because I liked being able to solve problems that had an exact answer. In college, I realized math is fundamental to understanding climate and ocean systems, so I majored in earth systems and minored in math.

Where are you from?

I'm from Halifax, Massachusetts, which is a tiny town on the South Shore near Plymouth. The town is rural, with many farms and few stores. However, growing up, I spent a lot of time at the beach, which is only 30 minutes away.

What are your favorite activities?

My favorite activities include running, playing soccer, hiking, trying new restaurants with different types of cuisines, and spending time doing any of the above with family and friends. I especially love to run on bike paths — locally, the Minuteman Bikeway is my favorite — and explore new areas. My family lives in New Hampshire, so I often hike mountains there. I also love to hike in national parks; I recently visited Acadia, and I recommend checking it out if you haven't been!