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About:
I am an expert in mid-low temperature thermochronometry. I combine dating tools with fieldwork, structural relationships, and detailed petrography to investigate the evolution of the Earth’s crust across spatial, temporal, and thermal scales. I use these techniques to unravel the mechanisms, including tectonics, mantle processes, and seismicity that drive lithospheric and surface evolution. If you can reconstruct the time-temperature history of an area, you can deduce topographic and land surface evolution and better assess how/why it happened. My teaching and mentorship philosophy is centered on intentional and inclusive design to support BAJEDI (pronounced: Be A JEDI and stands for Belonging, Access, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) work in the geosciences. Successful learning and teaching require a student-centered environment, transparent expectations, communication, exploration, and the fostering of critical thinking skills. I enhance student learning through inquiry- and place-based activities and provide support and community as students grow their science identities. |
Westman Islands, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
Perfect ski day in the Colorado Backcountry (I promise I wore a helmet on the way down!)
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Eastern escarpment, South Africa
Fieldwork, Spitskop alkaline complex, South Africa (1.35 Ga)
Exit Glacier, Seward Alaska
A well-deserved break in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado with Bowdoin student researchers after a successful (U-Th)/He analytical session at CU TRaIL
I am a participate of the URGE program and encourage all those working in the geosciences to take advantage of this valuable curriculum and resource!
URGE's primary objectives are to (1) deepen the community’s knowledge of the effects of racism on the participation and retention of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people in Geoscience, (2) draw on existing literature, expert opinions, and personal experiences to develop anti-racist policies and strategies, and (3) share, discuss, and modify anti-racist policies and strategies within a dynamic community network and on a national stage. Learn more at the URGE website |
Leopard, Kruger National Park
News:
6.24.22 - Prof. Melanie Michalak and I were awarded an inaugural AGeS-DiG (Advancing Geochronology Science - Diversity in Geochronology) Grant to lead a diverse cohort of undergrad students in authentic research in Northern CA. Check out our information and recruitment video! 8.04.21 - I'm thrilled to join the Department of Geology at Cal Poly Humboldt as an Assistant Professor this fall. Go Lumberjacks! 6.21.21 - New manuscript is out! Spatially variable syn- and post-Alleghanian exhumation of the central Appalachian Mountains from zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology, open-access article available via Geosphere. Luke Basler is the first-author as an UNDERGRADUATE student! 3.17.21 - Undergraduate student researchers Luke Basler and Cameron Markovsky were accepted into their top choice grad programs! 7.27.20 - "With Virtual Reality, group member Thais Carrillo '23 (Bowdoin College) Opens Famous Maine Geology Site to All" in an effort to create a physically inclusive field trip! Can't wait to share our progress at Virtual GSA 2020 and pilot the field trip this fall at Bowdoin College. 6.30.20 - Check out our session at the annual GSA meeting "T20. Topographic and Lithospheric Evolution of Elevated Continental Passive Margins" - abstract submission is open! 12.15.19 - Check it out - Bowdoin Intro Geology students engage the community with great demonstrations and presentations "How to Teach Geology with Jell-O and Chocolate Syrup" 11.19.19 - New manuscript is out! Mesoproterozoic burial of the Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa during Rodinia supercontinent assembly from (U-Th)/He thermochronology, available at EPSL. We identify for the first time a major reheating (>130C) event, consistent with widespread burial (>3.7 km) across much of southern Africa during supercontinent Rodinia collision! 9.20.19 - Check out new work on the post-orogenic exhumation of the Appalachian Mountains at GSA in Phoenix! 7.10.18 - I had a great time defending my thesis Bridging high and low temperature thermal histories across the Kaapvaal craton, southern African from advances in titanite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology and am excited to begin a new position as a visiting faculty member at Bowdoin College 4.26.18 - New manuscript is out! Deciphering a 2 Gyr-Long Thermal History From a Multichronometer (U-Th)/He Study of the Phalaborwa Carbonatite, Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa, available at G-Cubed. 12.15.17 - Great session at AGU "Applications of Thermochronology to Understand Crustal Systems" - sincere thanks to all who participated and attended! 6.19.17 - Summer internships at UNAVCO are all underway! I'm thrilled to help facilitate these exceptional student programs and organize CO field trips and skills and communication seminars! 3.20.17 - New manuscript is out! Influence of radiation damage on titanite He diffusion kinetics, available at GCA. We show radiation damage affects the temperature sensitivity of titanite (U-Th)/He dating. |
