Dr. Lydia Olaka is a senior lecturer at the Technical University of Kenya, Department of Geosciences and the Environment. She holds a PhD in geosciences from Potsdam University, Germany. She undertook postdoctoral research from junior to senior postdoc fellowship within the Volkswagen Foundation, Africa program between 2011 and 2022. She is a geologist with specialization in Earth system science focusing on paleoclimate reconstruction, climate change adaptation, geologic carbon removal technologies, geochemistry, and understanding groundwater flow and dynamics.