海角社区

Dr. Brevik teaches courses in geology and soil science at Dickinson State University, coordinates the Environmental Science degree program, and advises undergraduate research. He has taught at Valdosta State University (Georgia) and Dickinson State University during his faculty career.  Dr. Brevik鈥檚 research interests include combining information from soil science and geology, soil genesis, and the impact of humans on soil properties and processes, as well as soil science history, education, and links between soil science and culture. He is an active member of the European Geoscience Union, International Union of Soil Sciences, and Soil Science Society of America.

Ramon Arrowsmith studies the geomorphology of fault zones and records the history of activity. His work explores the history of earthquakes, their patterns, and impacts. 

Professor Arrowsmith developed the largest online portal for free, high-resolution topography data. His research is developed from active faulting, earthquake geology, and tectonic geomorphology.

He is a professor for the School of Earth and Space Exploration.

He is co-founder and co-PI of the OpenTopography effort, and a fellow in the Geological Society of America. Arrowsmith has been published in Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America multiple times.

Josh Roering holds degrees from Stanford and University of California, Berkeley. He uses field observations, laboratory experiments, computer models, and remote sensing to conduct his investigations. Roering specializes in geomorphology, which addresses the evolution of landscapes, including mountain building by tectonic and volcanic processes and erosion by rivers, glaciers, landslides, and other processes. His research has led to fundamental insights on why many landscapes have an orderly appearance, with distinctive and evenly spaced valleys and ridges. He has also investigated the influence of land use practices, such as timber harv

Dr. Phillip Schmutz, an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, researches coastal/beach and aeolian geomorphology, particularly factors that can build sand dunes. He is working to develop better techniques for understanding the dynamics of these environments and to build more realistic models of coastal aeolian systems. Before Schmutz joined UWF鈥檚 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in 2015, he earned a Ph.D. and a M.S. in Geography, both from Louisiana State University, and spent a year as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Texas A&M University鈥檚 Department of Geology and Geophysics. In his research, Schmutz has studied surface moisture, evaporation dynamics, coastal vegetation and other topics related to beaches.

His work has been published in Journal of Coastal Research, Journal of Aeolian Research, Geomorphology and elsewhere. Schmutz also has made numerous presentations to the Association of American Geographers. He teaches Earth Science, Geomorphology and other courses. He has a B.A. in Geography & Environmental Studies from Baylor University, where he won a scholarship to fund study abroad.

Tamas Varga leads a team of researchers in the Biogeochemical Transformations team. He has been a senior research scientist at EMSL since 2009. He received his PhD in Chemistry in 2005 from Georgia Institute of Technology following his MS in Chemistry from the University of Debrecen, and MS in Economics from the University of Miskolc, both in Hungary.
Before PNNL, he spent his postdoctoral years at the University of California, Davis (2005-2007) and Argonne National Laboratory (2007-2009). He supports the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) user program at EMSL, maintains the XRD and XCT facilities in part, and develops his own research program utilizing EMSL's capabilities and those at other national user facilities for collaborative research. As part of user support, he performs XRD characterization of various types of samples (powder, thin film, etc.), and XCT imaging of a range of materials (biological, geological, etc.).
He has published over 110 journal articles, a book chapter, and given several invited talks at conferences and research institutions. He has also been active in scientific editing, conference chairing, proposal review panels in the materials science and synchrotron science areas, and mentoring the younger generation in science.

Usha Rao is a recipient of the Association for Women in Science’s Zenith award, a lifetime leadership and achievement award. She has also received the Distinguished Research Lectureship from the Association for Women Geoscientists, and the Bingham Mentoring Award from the Philadelphia chapter of AWIS, awarded to a “distinguished scientist who has significantly influenced the advancement of women in science”. Dr. Rao was selected by Pennsylvania Governor Wolf to participate in the 'PA Women in STEM' video series. She serves as a writer and speaker on the environment, leadership, and mentoring for many US and international organizations. Some recent partners include the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Swiss National Science Foundation's PRIMA Program, the American Association for Environmental Engineering and Science, and Lab Manager magazine. 
Dr. Rao's STEM teaching has been recognized with the Lindback Foundation's Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Medal for Distinguished University Teaching. She has also received three merit awards for "exceptional achievement in teaching" at Saint Joseph's University and was selected as a Most Valuable Professor (MVP) by the women's basketball team.
At Saint Joseph's, Dr. Rao co-developed the John P. McNulty Program for Leadership in Science and Mathematics, an initiative that has supported 130 emerging leaders since 2009. She also created the University’s first faculty development office to provide resources and mentoring to hundreds of faculty members, serving as the Founding Director. Dr. Rao’s board service includes the Ardmore Library of the Lower Merion Library System and the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum at the Barnes Foundation in Lower Merion.
Dr. Rao’s research focuses on water chemistry. She is a coordinating editor for Springer-Nature's Environmental Geochemistry and Health, the journal of the Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health. She serves as an Approved Expert Reviewer for the Nobel-prize winning United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC) and as a Mentor for former US Vice President Gore’s Climate Reality initiative.
Her research at SJU has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, the Lindback Foundation Minority Research Program, Purdue University’s PRIME particle accelerator laboratory, the Michael J. Morris Grant Program, and Saint Joseph’s University Board on Faculty Development and Research. She is currently accepting queries from graduate students.

Andy Bobyarchick teaches applied geophysics at UNC Charlotte. His long-term research interests include the tectonics and regional geology of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, particularly within the eastern crystalline core of the chain.
For several years, he has taught an intense, hands-on summer institute for in-service K-12 schoolteachers. This field- and lab-based course is oriented on content and experience. He is also actively involved in developing online physical geology courses for non-science majors or teachers through UNC Charlotte and through the UNC general administration.
Bobyarchick received a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from SUNY Albany. A former research scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey, he is a member of the Geological Society of America, Carolina Geological Society, American Geophysical Union, Association of Environmental and Environmental Geologists and Sigma Xi.

Scott Hippensteel, Ph.D. joined UNC Charlotte in 2000 after completing an MS and Ph.D. in Geology at the University of Delaware. For his first decade in North Carolina his research centered on using fossils to solve environmental problems. The published results of this research included journal articles and book chapters concerning paleotempestology (the study of ancient storms), bioturbation (the mixing of sediments by critters), military geoarchaeology (of the barrier islands surrounding Charleston, SC) and Earth Sciences pedagogy.
In 2004 he joined a research team in Charleston studying the Confederate submarine, H.L. Hunley. His research pertaining to the submarine involves using microfossils to interpret the sediment infilling history of the vessel and provide insights into the reasons for the exceptional preservation of the crew.