Enthusiastic NASA Climate Scientist and Ivy League Grad Student

Sylvain F.

Hi! I'm Syl. :)

I'm an Earth science researcher at NASA and a PhD student in Columbia University’s Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences. I graduated from Williams College in 2024 with a B.A. in Geosciences, where my undergraduate thesis on atmospheric aerosols—tiny liquid and solid particles in the sky, like sea salt from the ocean or dust from deserts—earned highest honors. Today, I study the atmosphere using large satellite datasets to improve how aerosols are represented in climate models, with the goal of reducing uncertainty in temperature forecasts decades to centuries into the future. My work is highly interdisciplinary, so along the way I’ve built a strong foundation in math, chemistry, and physics.

I’m also an experienced educator. I’ve lectured for Williams College’s summer science program, served as a teaching assistant for Columbia undergraduate courses, and presented my research internationally. Outside of academics, I love origami, disc golf, and playing fiddle. I also run a TikTok account with two million followers, where I share paper-folding tutorials and musical quizzes (@syl_foisy)!

At the core of my teaching philosophy is the belief that mastering fundamentals makes problem-solving genuinely fun. I focus on breaking concepts down to their simplest form and building upward, creating a supportive, engaging learning environment where students gain confidence in the basics so they can tackle big ideas on their own. I’d love to help you reach your goals—and maybe even convince you to become an atmospheric scientist too! (Earth is so cool!!) Jokes aside, I’m here to support you in all things STEM and to share more about my career if you're interested.

Hope to work with you soon,
Syl