About me
I like to build models of the Earth on the computer.
If interested working with me as a PhD student or postdoctoral researcher, please get in touch to discuss projects that are broadly related to my expertise.
Email: adina.pusok@earth.ox.ac.uk

Work Experience
01/2024 - present | Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, UK Royal Society University Research Fellow (OceanMelt project) | |
11/2021 - 06/2022 | Exeter College, Oxford, UK Stipendiary Lecturer in Geophysics | |
06/2019 - 12/2023 | Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, UK Postdoctoral Research Associate (RIFT-O-MAT project) | |
10/2016 - 04/2019 | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, USA John W. Miles Postdoctoral Fellow at IGPP |
Education
01/2021 - 10/2021 | Advance HE and CTL, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom Associate Fellowship, Descriptor 1 UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) | |
07/2012 - 06/2016 | Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany DPhil. in Natural Sciences - Geophysics | |
10/2008 - 06/2012 | University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom MEarthSci. Earth Sciences |
Funding and Awards
- 2024 and 2025 University Researcher Representative Fellowship, U. Oxford.
- 2023 Royal Society University Research Fellowship (8 years funding, ~£1.5M). [Press release]
- 2019 Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for Geochem., Geophys., Geosyst. [Press release]
- CIG Travel award to attend the international Geodynamics workshops: 2019 Ada Lovelace (Siena, Italy), 2017 NetherMod (Putten, the Netherlands).
- John W. Miles Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Foundation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, 2016 - 2018.
- Outstanding Student Poster Award (OSPA) at the EGU Annual Meeting 2014, Vienna, Austria.
- Academic Exhibition Prize in 2009, 2010, 2011, St. Anne's College, University of Oxford, UK.
Community work
Since 2020, I have focused on the representation of postdocs at U. Oxford, a need exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic to improve the postdoc experience regarding the leave management system, teaching pay, representation, resource allocation, training and support for fellowship and funding applications, and career progression. My roles include:
- Research staff representative: co-chair within MPLS division, member of Research Staff Consultation Group, member of the Research&Innovation Committee, U. Oxford (2024-present)
- Postdoc representative in Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford (2021-2023)
As the early career scientist (ECS) representative for the Geodynamics division at the European Geosciences Union (2016-2019), I set up the calendar of ECS activities including the Geodynamics 101 short course (that resulted in the GD101 paper), the division blog, and the division social media. Occasionally, I also write for the EGU Geodynamics division Blog.
When I have some spare time, I like to join high-school classrooms online in Romania (through Romanian Science Festival or other NGOs) or do local outreach for girls in STEM.
Last but not least, I enjoy being active in the academic life surrounding my work:
- Session convener at EGU and AGU meetings
- Organizer of the Oxford Fluids Network and Oxford Exoplanets Network annual workshops (2019)
- Organizer of Geophysics (GP) seminars, IGPP/SIO (2016-2018)
- Member of the Organizing Committee for the 'Plate Tectonics Symposium at SIO' - May 9-10, 2018
- Reviewer for Funding Agencies: NSF (USA), ANR (France), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (DE).
- Reviewer: G-cubed, JGR - Solid Earth, Solid Earth, Tectonics, GSA Bulletin, Geology, Geophys. J. Int., Nature Rev. Earth Env.
- OSPA Judge at the AGU Fall Meetings, EGU General Assemblies
Teaching
I teach undergraduate/graduate courses in Mathematics, Geophysics and Geodynamics in a variety of formats - lectures, practicals, tutorials.
While working from home and faced with online teaching in 2021, I decided to do a training course: the Advanced Teaching and Learning course, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Oxford, 2021. As a result, I completed the certification for Associate Fellowship by Advance HE with the portfolio Remote teaching an undergraduate computational course in Earth Sciences