About me I am a watershed/coastal scientist who is interested in the complex interaction between biotic and abiotic processes that drive climate, landscape, and ecosystem evolution. I am currently working at Idaho State University on two projects. The first is on the NSF funded Critical Zone Network (CZNet) Geomicrobiology Project where I am evaluating mineral associated 'heavy fraction' and microbial associated 'light fraction' organic matter across landscapes to better understand carbon residence times in respect to changing climate and land use. The second project is to further develop a model we have recently patented to estimate soil thickness and nutrient stocks across diverse terrains for commercial marketing. This work has broad commercial applications in the transportation, agriculture, mitigation, carbon accreditation, and green energy sectors. Both projects provide an amazing foundation to understand and evaluate how ecosystems and landscapes evolve across the globe and through varying timescales. In addition to my current position, I actively work with research groups across the world such as the British Geological Survey (BGS), Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Desert Research Institute's Integrated Terrain Analysis Program (ITAP), Critical Zone Observatories (CZO), Center for Ecological Research and Education (CERE), Center of Archaeological Materials and Applied Spectroscopy (CAMAS), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a suite of multifaceted projects. Working with such diverse groups, my work tends to be at the interface of many scientific disciplines which has motivated me to become a voice for the scientific community and an advocate of science literacy and communication.
Doctorates of Philosophy (2020-2022)
Major: Geology
Focus: Landscape evolution, Paleoclimate, GIS, and geochronology
Thesis Topic: Landscape evolution of the south east Queensland dunefields
Advisers: Dr. Jamie Shulmeister, Dr. Peter Almond, Dr. Tim Stahl, and Dr. Tammy Rittenour
Committee Members: Dr. Kevin Welsh, Dr. Melanie Leng, and Dr. Matthew, Jones
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/
Doctorates of Philosophy (2018-2020) ~ Transferred
Major: Geology
Focus: Paleoclimate, stable isotopes, lake sediments, and biogeochemistry
Thesis Topic: Reconstructing climate variability in sub-tropical Australia
Advisers: Dr. Jamie Shulmeister, Dr. Kevin Welsh, Dr. Melanie Leng, and Dr. Matt Jones
http://uq.edu.au/
Masters of Science (2014-2016)
Major: Geology
Focus: Soil science, biogeochemistry, geomorphology, GIS, and spatial statistics
Thesis Topic: Modelling thickness of mobile regolith and soil nutrient stocks
Adviser: Dr. Kathleen Lohse
Committee Members: Dr. Mark Seyfried, Dr. Sarah Godsey, and Dr. Benjamin Crosby
https://www.isu.edu/
Bachelors of Science (2010-2013)
Double Major: Chemistry and Geology
Focus: Hydrology, environmental chemistry, and aqueous chemistry
Thesis Topic: Aqueous chemistry and flow paths within streams and wetlands