HI.
I'M JOOD.
I STUDY THE HISTORY OF LIFE AND EARTH.
Who is
Dr. Jood Al Aswad?
I have just completed my Ph.D. at Stanford University in quantitative paleobiology as part of the Payne Paleobiology Lab. On October 2025, I will be joining the Stratigraphic Paleobiology Lab as a postdoc at Virginia Tech.
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Ecosystems have become spatiotemporally simpler many times in the history of life, and it's been warned that it may be happening again in the modern as a hallmark of environmental catastrophe. My research aims to uncover the drivers of taxonomic homogenization and extinction risks by turning to the fossil record to disentangle their contributions and interactions with one another.
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Learn more about my research here.
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I study how marine ecosystems have become simpler and more interconnected across time and space.
I certainly found my niche in paleobiology!
Aside from that, I have many passions that drive me and shape who I am. One of my goals is in student outreach within the realm of geosciences. To my knowledge, I am the first female Saudi paleontologist. I also draw digitally and with charcoal, and sometimes use that for science. The magnum opus of my creative endeavors is a high fantasy novel I am in the works of writing and hope to publish someday, and incorporates elements of geology into it!
Teaching
Here's an example of a game I created, using publicly available resources, for the Sixth Mass Extinction (and the Other Five) class which explore the modern and past biodiversity crises. In this game, students vote on a variety of choices based on things they learned in class to help their creature survive the end-Permian mass extinction. Contact me for more information about this game!
Rules: Get at least 500 points to survive the end-Permian mass extinction. Vote on Polleverywhere. For each question, the answer with the highest submissions will be chosen.
My teaching philosophy is all about creating engaging, student-centered learning experiences. I use backward course design and active learning to make sure every class is built around clear goals that help students succeed. By connecting learning outcomes, assessments, and classroom activities, I aim to help students develop a deep understanding of Earth systems and how life and our planet shape one another. Ultimately, I want my students to think critically and creatively about the complex scientific challenges our planet faces today by presenting the science in ways that help to maximize their learning.
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I’ve had the chance to teach and assist in courses on the coevolution of life and Earth, paleobiology, macroevolution, climate change, physical geography, and mass extinctions, and have prepared for courses in oceanography, marine ecology, geology, and biogeography. Teaching these topics has been incredibly rewarding, and in 2025 I was honored to receive Stanford’s Centennial Teaching Assistant Award for my work in these classes.
Education
2019 - 2025
Stanford University
Ph.D. Geological Sciences (Paleobiology)
Advised by: Dr. Jon Payne
Projects focus on providing a mechanistic explanation for the global taxonomic homogenization of marine ecosystems following the end-Permian mass extinction, examining the contributions of climate change and biodiversity loss in ecosystem simplification, and a systematic analysis of bivalves from the Lower Triassic of Saudi Arabia.
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2017 - 2019
Cornell University
M.S. Geological Sciences (Stratigraphy and Petrophysics)
Advised by: Dr. Teresa Jordan
Thesis title: "A stratigraphic and petrophysical study of in-situ geothermal reservoir quality of the Cambro-Ordovician subsurface a Cornell University, Ithaca, New York"
2011 - 2016
George Mason University
B.S. Earth Science, concentration in Geology
Advised by: Dr. Linda Hinnov
Research Project: “The harmonic analysis of geophysical phenomena recorded by borehole strainmeters.”
Summer 2021
Friday Harbor Laboratories - University of Washington
Marine Invertebrate Zoology
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Field Camp
Summer 2015