Former students and postdocs
Former Graduate Students
Cecilia Sanders (Ph.D. 2022)
Thesis Title: Geological and Geochemical Explorations of the Salitre Formation Phosphorite, Eastern Brazil. Currently a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University. Her website can be found here.
Eva Scheller (Ph.D. 2022)
Thesis Title: A multi-disciplinary approach: How aqueous minerals hold the key to understanding the climate and habitability of terrestrial planets. Currently a Heising-Simons 51 pegasi b fellow at MIT.
Nathan Stein (Ph.D. 2020)
Thesis Title: Investigation of Past Habitable Environments through Remote Sensing of Planetary Surfaces. Currently a technical lead in Machine Learning at Rebellion Defense.
Daven Quinn (Ph.D. 2018)
Thesis Title: Regional and Structural Geology of Earth and Mars. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His website can be found here.
Kirsten Siebach (Ph.D. 2016)
Thesis Title: Formation and Diagenesis of Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars. Employed as an Assistant Professor in the department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Rice Univesity. Her website can be found here.
Katie Stack Morgan (Ph.D. 2014)
Thesis Title: Reconstructing past depositional and diagenetic processes through quantitative stratigraphic analysis of the Martian sedimentary rock record. Employed as a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is the Deputy Project Scientist of the Mars 2020 rover mission. Her web page at JPL can be found here.
Maggie Osburn (Ph.D. 2013)
Thesis title: Isotopic proxies for microbial and environmental change: insights, hydrogen isotopes, and the Ediacaran Khufai Formation. Employed as an Assistant Professor in the department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. Her lab website can be found here.
Kristin Bergmann (Ph.D. 2013)
Thesis title: Constraints on the carbon cycle and climate during the early evolution of animals. Employed as an Assistant Professor in the department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT. Her lab website can be found here.
Lauren Edgar (Ph.D. 2012)
Thesis title: Identifying and Interpreting Stratification in Sedimentary Rocks on Mars: Insight from Rover and Orbital Observations and Terrestrial Field Analogs. Employed as a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Her web page at the USGS can be found here.
Joannah Metz (Ph.D. 2010)
Thesis title: A study of the record of ancient sedimentary rocks on Mars using MER, HiRISE, and CRISM images. Employed as a Senior Exploration Scientist at Shell USA, Houston.
Wes Watters (M.Sc. 2000, Ph.D. 2008)
M.Sc. thesis title: Digital reconstructions of Fossil Morphologies, Nama Group, Namibia.
Ph.D. thesis title: Hypervelocity impacts and the evolution of planetary surfaces and interiors. Currently an Associate Professor in the department of Astronomy at Wellesley College. His website can be found here.
David Fike (Ph.D. 2007)
Thesis title: Carbon and sulfur isotopic constraints on Ediacaran biogeochemical processes, Huqf Supergroup, Sultanate of Oman. Employed as a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Director of Environmental Studies, and Department Chair at Washington University in St. Louis. His lab website can be found here.
Bill Lyons (Ph.D. 2004)
Thesis topic: Experimental simulation of submarine fan architecture, and 3D seismic mapping of submarine fan evolution. Employed as Exploration Team Lead in the eastern Gulf of Mexico at Shell USA, Houston.
Steve DiBenedetto (M.Sc. 2002)
Thesis Title: High-resolution facies architecture and sediment transport mechanisms on the terminal Proterozoic Kuibis carbonate ramp, Nama Group, Namibia. Employed as a product manager at Trimble CEC Field Solutions Software in Denver.
Robert Flemings (M.Sc. 2000)
Thesis title: Numerical simulation of turbidite sedimentation and submarine fan development.
Clement Aina (M.Sc 1999)
Thesis topic: Well-log analysis of reservoir heterogeneity, Benin River field, Nigeria. Employed as Production Geologist at Chevron Nigeria.
Kelvin Chan (M.Sc. 1999)
Thesis title: Numerical simulation of stromatolite morphogenesis.
Odin Smith (M.Sc. 1998)
Thesis title: Terminal Proterozoic carbonate platform development: Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Kuibis Subgroup (ca. 550-548 Ma), northern Nama basin, Namibia. Employed as Senior Counsel at Perkins Coie LLP, Washington D.C.
Jennifer Carlson (Ph.D. 1998)
Thesis title: Analytical and Statistical Approaches Toward Understanding Sedimentation in Siliciclastic Depositional Systems. Employed at Lucent Corporation.
Eliot Ibie (M.Sc. 1997)
Thesis title: Seismic Stratigraphic Analysis in the Niger Delta: A Case History of the Benin River 3-D Seismic Cube. Employed as Exploration Geologist at Chevron Nigeria.
Shane Pelechaty (Ph.D. 1996)
Thesis title: The Vendian-Cambrian System of Siberia: Correlation, Tectonics and Petroleum Geology. Employed as Shales Manager and Chief Geoscientist at Shell in Calgary, Alberta.
Beverly Saylor (Ph.D. 1996)
Thesis title: Sequence stratigraphic and chemostratigraphic constraints on the evolution of the terminal Proterozoic to Cambrian Nama basin, Namibia. Employed as Professor, Case Western Reserve University. Her web page at Case Western Reserve can be found here.
Dawn Sumner (Ph.D. 1995).
Thesis title: Facies, paleogeography, and carbonate precipitation on the Archean (2520 Ma) Campbellrand-Malmani carbonate platform, Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa. Employed as Full Professor at the University of California at Davis. Her lab website can be found here.
Brad Ritts (M.S. 1994)
Thesis title: Depositional facies and detrital composition of the Paleoproterozoic Et-Then Group, NWT, Canada. Employed as Associate Vice President of Research in the Geological Sciences department at the University of Idaho.
Roy Adams (Ph.D. 1993)
Thesis title: Sequence-stratigraphic analysis of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic Cambrian sediments, Carrara Formation, southwest Basin and Range, California and Nevada. Employed as Research Scientist at Utah Geological Survey.
David McCormick (Ph.D. 1992)
Thesis title: Evolution of an Early Proterozoic alluvially-dominated foreland basin, Burnside Formation, Kilohigok Basin, N.W.T., Canada.
Julio Friedmann (M.Sc. 1990)
Thesis title: Stratigraphy, sedimentology, and Tectonic Evolution of the 1.86 Ga El Sherana and Edith River Groups, Northern Territory, Australia. Employed as Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.
Linda Kah (M.Sc. 1990)
Thesis title: Early Proterozoic (1.9 Ga) Thrombolites of the Rocknest Formation, Northwest Territories, Canada. Employed as a Professor, University of Tennessee.
Former Postdoctoral Research Associates
Christine Chen (2020-2021)
Currently a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Sharon Newman (2018-2021)
Project Manager, Environmental Protection Agency
Miquela Ingalls (2018-2020)
Currently an Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University.
Lizzy Trower (2015-2017)
Currently an Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder.
Jessica Watkins (2015-2017)
Currently a NASA Astronaut in Houston.
Jessica (JC) Creveling (2012-2015)
Currently in the position of Associate Professor, Oregon State University.
Melissa Rice (2013-2014)
Currently in the position of Associate Professor, Western Washington University.
Thomas Bristow (2008-2010)
Currently in the position of Staff Scientist at NASA Ames.
Woodward Fischer (2006-2008)
Currently in the position of Professor of Geobiology, Caltech.
Ralph Milliken (2006-2007)
Research Topic: Analysis of CRISM data and interpretation of stratal geometries, Melas Chasma and Juventae Chasma, Mars. Currently employed as an Associate Professor, Brown University.
Justin Ries (2006)
Research Topic: Sulfur isotope chemostratigraphy, Nama Group, Namibia. Professor at Northeastern University.
Mike Tice (2005-2006)
Research Topic: Experimental morphogenesis of microbial mats.
Currently in position of Associate Research Scientist, Texas A&M.
Adam Maloof (2004 -2006)
Research Topic: Magnetism and stratigraphy of modern carbonates, Andros Island, Bahamas.
Currently in position as Professor, Princeton University.
Erwin Adams (2001 - 2004)
Research Topic: Digital mapping of terminal Proterozoic carbonate platforms, Nama Group, Namibia.
Currently employed as a Principal Geologist by Shell exploration research company.
Stefan Schroeder (2000-2003)
Research Topics: Trace element and Re-Os systematics of the Athel Silicilyte source rock event, terminal Proterozoic, Oman; and comparative analysis of thrombolite genesis and reef development in terminal Proterozoic carbonates in Namibia (outcrop) and Oman (subsurface).
Currently in the position of Senior Lecturer, The University of Manchester.
Aileen McLeod (2000-2001)
Research Topic: Interpretation of 3D and regional survey seismic data from the Namibian segment of the west African continental margin.
Jim Buttles (1999-2001)
Research Topic: Experimental studies of submarine fan channel development, and acoustic imaging of experimentally-produced stratigraphy.
Currently in the position of Research Engineering/Scientist Associate in the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas Austin.
Jeff Parsons (1997 -2000)
Research topics: Experimental studies of sediment gravity flow triggering mechanisms and depositional scaling relationships.
Currently employed by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Seattle.
Mike Pope (1995 -1998)
Research topics: Precambrian-Cambrian boundary stratigraphy, Turukhansk, Siberia; Paleoproterozoic carbonate and evaporite sedimentology, NWT, Canada.
Currently in position of Professor and Department Head in the Geology and Geophysics Department, Texas A&M.