Ask and Answer with GMES Student Sananda Ray, Ph.D. Geophysics, 2025

GMES Student Spotlight Q&A:
Sananda Ray, Ph.D. Geophysics, 2025
Home City: Cooch Behar, INDIA
Advisor: Dr. Radwin Askari

Sananda’s publications.

Sananda Ray is pictured with Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala, in the summer of 2022 when she had an opportunity to join the field group led by Dr. Greg Waite and geology Ph.D. candidate Gustavo Bejar Lopez.

Get to know our students. Sananda Ray is a Graduate Research Assistant. She loves photography (she took the image of the Northern Lights!), traveling, family, friends, and volcanoes, to name a few. Her favorite class so far at MTU has been Volcanic Seismology with Dr. Greg Waite. Sananda says the best place to eat off-campus is the Ambassador. She has excellent taste in pizza and graduate programs!

Q: Why did you choose to attend MTU?

A: When looking for PhD positions, the program and the project aligned with my research goals. 

Q: Do you have a favorite class or professor so far?

A: Dr. Greg Waite and Volcanic Seismology.

Q. What is your research about?

A: My research focuses on experimental geophysics. I generate and analyze long-period events—commonly observed in volcanoes—using a controlled laboratory setup to bridge the gap between theoretical models and real-world geological observations.

Q: What is your favorite off-campus place to eat? 

A: The Ambassador in downtown Houghton.

Sananda Ray is pictured presenting her research poster at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in 2023.
Sananda photographed the Northern Lights over the Portage Canal.