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IUPUI Earth Sciences Graduate
Students |
Georgia Aquarium,
Atlanta, Georgia |
Amber Adamczyk, Arthur Mirsky
Graduate Fellow
B.S. Biology and English, Hillsdale College,
Michigan, 2005
Final Year, SL 060, 274-3864
I have enjoyed the past year with the
department; I have had great opportunities
to learn about geologic methods both in the
field and in the lab. My previous
undergraduate research consisted of an
analysis of three peat cores taken in close
proximity in a single bog basin. This study
was done to test the traditional methodology
of bog ecosystem reconstruction based on
single peat core analysis, and resulted in
some interesting variation in rarer species
subfossil composition between the three
cores. My thesis research involves a
cladistic analysis of the Monticuliporidae
family of Bryozoa, as well as an
investigation of water flow patterns within
Stenolaemate Bryozoans.
Faculty Advisors:
Dr. Joseph Pachut |
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming |
Jonathan S. Bills
B.S. Geology, Brigham Young University, 2006
Final Year, SL 032, 278-0133
My thesis work focuses on carbon
sequestration by native and invasive species
in a wetland complex in south-central
Indiana. Specifically, I will try to
determine whether invasion by reed canary
grass (Phalaris arundinacea) results in
increased soil carbon storage or decreased
soil carbon storage. A key to determining a
plant’s ability to affect soil carbon levels
is its rate of decomposition. When a plant
decomposes, CO2 is produced. An increase in
CO2 production during the last two centuries
is the leading cause of global warming. Much
of the CO2 responsible for global warming
was created by the burning of fossil fuels
and deforestation. The biochemical quality
of dead plant material determines its rate
of decomposition. Biochemical parameters for
several plant species including reed canary
grass will be analyzed in conjunction with
other variables thought to mediate carbon
sequestration such as water table levels and
soil texture.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Pierre Jacinthe |
|
Eldfell Volcano, Heimaey Island, Iceland, 2003 |
Kenny Brown
B.S. Geology, IUPUI, 2005
Final Year, SL 060, 274-3864
"The Petrology and Fabric
Development of Late Cretaceous Mid-Crustal
Sheeted Plutons, Eastern Transverse Ranges,
Southern California: Implications for the
Initiation of the Cretaceous-Paleogene
Laramide Orogeny."
My research interests are using petrology,
petrography, and geochronology to answer a
range of tectonic and structural questions
within the North American Cordillera. My
research focuses on the crustal evolution of
the eastern Transverse Ranges in southern
California during the Late Cretaceous-Paleogene
Laramide orogeny. The goals of my research
are: 1.) to determine the timing of fabric
development in mid-crustal sheeted plutons
using detail geochronology and petrography
and 2.) to determine emplacement conditions
of these sheeted plutons and their
geochemical relationship to voluminous
upper-crustal plutons. Examining broadly
granodioritic rocks in mid-crustal regimes
can provide a wealth of information about
arc structure and the plumbing of upper
crustal magmatic systems during the Mesozoic
in southern California.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Andrew Barth |
Somewhere in the Caribbean |
Angie Cowan
Previous Degrees
First Year,
SL 018, no phone
"Multi-Organizational Physicochemical
and Biological Assessment of Indianapolis
Reservoirs"
I was born and raised in Indiana and after
12 years of studying biology in Colorado and
teaching marine ecology in Southern California,
Hawai’i and the British Virgin Islands, I have
returned to pursue my Master’s degree in
geology—with an emphasis on limnology and the
biogeochemistry of Midwestern watersheds. I am
especially interested in exploring the causes
and effects of eutrophication in our local
reservoirs and in identifying and enumerating
potential sources of toxic and nuisance algal
species. My thesis work will focus on a
multi-organizational physicochemical and
biological assessment of Eagle Creek, Geist and
Morse Reservoirs throughout the summer. Our goal
is to provide a baseline of data that can be
utilized to support adaptive management
strategies throughout the area—as well as
improve upon the sustainability and aesthetic
quality of the reservoirs. In addition, I will
be sharing my work with local high school
students and teachers as a National Science
Foundation GK-12 Fellow. The fellowship will
afford me opportunities to use my teaching
background and outreach experience to involve
students in experiential science education
through authentic research, while promoting an
ethic of conservation and stewardship. I am
extremely excited to be a part of the CEES team
and look forward to beginning this new
adventure!
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lenore Tedesco |
Central Canal, Indianapolis |
Pilar
Cuadra
Previous Degrees
First Year,
SL 060, 274-3864
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Philippe Vidon |
Lilly ARBOR site, Indianapolis, Indiana |
Carrie Hatcher
B.G.S., IPFW, 2002
Second Year, SL 022, 274-7292
As an undergraduate, my research focused on
element partitioning in a pyrochlore-based
ceramic waste form. The ceramic consisted of
uranium which was a substitution for plutonium
because its chemistry is similar but isn’t as
harmful. Since then I have found an interest in
human health and geology. I am currently working
in the area of medical biogeochemistry which
includes the study of environmental contaminants
and its effects on human health. Specifically, I
am analyzing Hg distribution levels, pathways,
potential regional sources, and mercury's impact
on the water systems in Marion and surrounding
counties of Indiana.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Gabe Filippelli |
 |
Zuoning Jiang
B.S. Geology, Jilin University, 2007
Second Year, SL 060, 274-3864
My undergraduate research was focused on using
structural and geochemical evidence to
reconstruct the tectonic history of Songliao
Basin in Northeastern China. My graduate
research will be aimed at examining
hyperspectral remote sensing technologies for
monitoring and assessing vegetation health and
mapping biochemical parameters of vegetation.
This will be achieved by spectroscopic
interpretation, image processing and modeling of
hyperspectral remote sensing data. Specifically,
I will focus on estimating vegetation water
content from hyperspectral spectral reflectance.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr.
Lin Li |
Goose Pond, Indiana |
Joe Johnstone
B.S. Environmental Geology, Purdue University, 2002
Final Year, SL 060, 274-3864
The nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus are water
pollutants, and contribute to water quality
issues such as eutrophication and the hypoxic
zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Midwestern
watersheds are a major source of these
contaminants. Previous Midwestern studies on
nutrient export have focused on net export. The
export of these nutrients during storms is
significantly higher than during dryer periods.
My project focuses on examining the patterns of
the export of these nutrients during storms on a
larger watershed, and seeing how they compare to
work done on two smaller nearby watersheds.
Hopefully this can assist in the development of
improved management practices to minimize this
problem.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr.
Philippe Vidon |
Southern Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica |
Kate Kramer
B.S. Hydrogeology, Univ. of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, 2006
Final Year, SL 048, 278-3958
"A Comparative Study of Reedy Glacier, and
West Antarctic Ice Streams to determine
provenance of Central Ross Sea Last Glacial
Maximum till"
As an undergraduate I completed a research
project that integrated groundwater chemistry
and bedrock geology. Arsenic contamination in
well water was a major concern in my study area.
I was able to show that old, shallow wells were
prone to poor water quality, and new, deep wells
had fewer contamination problems. In December of
2006, I traveled with my advisor, Dr. Kathy
Licht, to Antarctica to collect sediment from
outlet glaciers in the Southern Transantarctic
Mountains (photo at left). The goal of my
research is to compare sediment collected from
the Reedy Glacier to material previously
collected from beneath the West Antarctic Ice
Sheet. I will also compare sediment from both
sources to sediment from the continental shelf
of the Ross Sea. Understanding the source of
this sediment and ice will help constrain ice
flow models.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Kathy Licht |
|
Copan, Honduras |
J. Brice Mabry
B.A. Economics, IUPUI, 1999
Second Year, SL 048, 278-3958
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Gabe Filippelli,
Dr. Kathy Licht |
Hawthorn Park,
Indianapolis, IN |
Debbie
Morrison
A.A.S., Aviation Technology, Purdue University,
1992
B.S., Management, Purdue University, 1994
M.P.H., Epidemiology, IU School of Medicine,
Department of Public Health, 2007
First Year,
SL 060, 274-3864
"Correlating
high lead blood levels in children in an urban
setting using geospatial analysis and
geographically referenced health data"
My research interests include studying the
interaction between the environment and human
health, specifically determining the influence
of heavy metals in soil and sediments as it
relates to low-dose chronic lead exposure in
children in high risk environments. Looking at
heavy metal contamination problems from a
multi-disciplinary viewpoint including
epidemiology, health behavior, health promotion,
earth science, geospatial analysis and
geochemistry will ultimately allow for improved
risk-based mitigation in these high risk areas.Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Gabe Filippelli |
San Bernardino Mountains, California |
Sarah Needy
B.S./M.S.
Program, Geology, IUPUI
Second Year, SL 060, 274-3864
My undergraduate research encompassed a
3D velocity profile of the eastern Transverse
Ranges, including regional pressure and
temperature profiles from plutonic rocks.
Current research includes geochronology on
zircons from volcanic and plutonic rocks in the
Chocolate Mountains in southeastern California
(photo at left). Possible avenues for this
research include the regional transition from
extension to strike-slip and its relation to
magmatism; utilizing melt inclusions to
determine magma source(s) and the evolution of
the magma(s) through time; changes in
composition of zircon grains in 3D; and how
different geochemical methods of determining
temperature and pressure can affect results.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Andrew Barth |
Indianapolis Zoo |
Angie Robertson
B.S., Biology, University of Evansville, 2005
Second Year, SL 022, 274-7292
As a biology undergraduate, I focused heavily on
marine science as well as ecology and zoology.
As an IUPUI geology undergraduate, I researched
mercury levels in ocean basin sediment from the
Sorbas Basin in Southern Spain. This research,
advised by Gabe Filippelli, sought to discover
if mercury could be used as a potential proxy
for ocean productivity. No conclusive
determination could be made regarding mercury’s
potential. As a graduate student, I will be
geochemically analyzing ocean sediment from the
equatorial Pacific Ocean to determine how the
nutrient mass balance was controlled by previous
glacial and interglacial cycles. By using
samples with a high resolution, this research
intends to contribute to the greater
understanding of previous climate cycle’s
influence on the global nutrient mass balance
distribution over the past 500,000 years.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Gabe Filippelli |
Mount Rainier, Washington |
Tony Robertson
B.S., Biochemistry, Purdue University, 2003
Second Year, SL 022, 274-7292
For my graduate research, I am interested in the
identification and differentiation of biological
toxins found in the aquatic environment. Inland
eutrophic waters contain a variety of algae taxa
including cyanobacteria. Some of these
cyanobacteria species produce chemicals that
alter water taste, and toxins harmful to people
and wildlife. Therefore delineation of toxic
from non-toxic algae has important implications
for drinking water management. The methods of my
research will involve using High Performance
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to separate and
identify algal pigments found in eutrophic
reservoirs located in central Indiana. These
HPLC data will be tied to remotely sensed
spectral reflectance through
spectral-compositional models to achieve remote
detection and quantification of toxic blue-green
algae.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr.
Lin Li |
|
Top Hat Mountain,
Black Hills, South Dakota |
Jenny Roell
B.S./M.S.
Program, Geology, IUPUI
Second Year, SL 060, 274-3864
My research involves determining the age and
geothermobarometry of garnet-bearing metamorphic
rocks in the Little San Bernardino Mountains,
southern California. Mylonated gneisses are also
present in this area, which suggests that these
rocks are in the middle of a shear fault zone. A
possible avenue for this research would include
studying the age and movement of this fault zone
by examining mylonites.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Andrew Barth |
|
Northport, Maine |
Alex Rowan
B.S. Chemistry, Ball State University, 1991
Second Year, SL 022, 274-7292
As a recent newcomer to geology, I plan to apply
my chemistry background to paleoceanographic
studies of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Specifically, my thesis project will revolve
around questions involving the impact of El
Nino-like climate phenomena and ocean
circulation patterns on biological productivity
through the Pliocene-Pleistocene periods. I will
be performing elemental and isotopic ratio
analyses on sediment core samples from several
ODP (Ocean Drilling Project) sites dispersed
across the equatorial upwelling region. The
intent is to combine this biogeochemical
information with established knowledge of sea
surface temperatures and other physical ocean
parameters, in order to explore how nutrient
cycling patterns respond to climate change over
geologic time scales.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Gabe Filippelli |
North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park |
Andrea
Schilling
B.A. Geology, IUPUI, 2007
First Year,
SL 048, 278-3958
"Determining Paleo-Ice Flow Paths using
Zircon Geochronology, West Antarctica"
As an undergraduate, I completed a research
project which involved characterizing glacial
till from the Byrd and Nimrod Glaciers, East
Antarctica by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The
goal of this project was to determine a unique
sediment composition signature from these outlet
glaciers, which drain the East Antarctic Ice
Sheet, to help in reconstructing past ice flow
paths in the Ross Embayment during the Last
Glacial Maximum (~17,000 yrs ago). My master’s
research will focus on collecting detrital
zircon geochronology data from samples under
West Antarctic ice streams, East Antarctic
outlet glaciers, and along a transect in the
Ross Sea. The U-Th-Pb detrital age distributions
will be used to identify distinct signatures
from the sample sites which will then give more
constraints on the past ice flow paths of the
region. Constraining the behavior and extent of
Antarctica during the Last Glacial Maximum is
essential in developing accurate models of ice
sheet behavior. Provenance of detrital zircons
is one method for constraining such models.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Kathy Licht |
Need Photo!
|
Barbara
Simpson
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lenore Tedesco |
Eagle Creek Watershed, near Lebanon, IN |
Mike
Stouder
Previous Degrees
First Year,
SL 018, no phone
My research is a
continuation of the Central Indiana Water
Resources Partnership (CIWRP)
project and includes an investigation of
nutrient export dynamics in a large scale
watershed dominated by agriculture. Nutrients
such as nitrogen and phosphorus are commonly
found in substances applied to these areas as
they increase productivity. However, when
transported to bodies of water they can become
detrimental to both water quality and aquatic
habitats. Objectives of this study
include:
- tracking
changes in concentration of the nutrients
during storm events,
-
understanding of the timing of peak nutrient
concentrations relative to stream discharge
to aid in more effective water management
practices, and
- using
nutrient data, in addition to various cation
and δ18O levels, to determine
water/nutrient flow pathways and pre-event
water contributions to the streams.
These results
will be compared with those obtained by similar
studies carried out in smaller watersheds that
lie in the Upper White River Basin.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco |
Need Photo!
|
Angie
Tilton
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lenore Tedesco |
|
Goose Pond, Indiana |
Lara Vallely
B.S. Sustainable Agriculture, Berea College,
2003
Working towards M.S. in Geographic Information
Systems
(granted through the IUPUI Department of Geography)
Second Year
My work focuses on estimating blue-green algal
blooms in 3 local reservoirs using remote
sensing. Algal blooms can cause aesthetic and
ecological degradation to water bodies, and
monitoring their occurrence is a priority for
water management. Specifically, I am interested
in how variations in different water quality
parameters impact our ability to remotely detect
algae concentration. My thesis is part of a
multidisciplinary project with the Center for
Earth and Environmental Science (CEES).
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Jeff Wilson,
Department of Geography, IUPUI. |
Zhouzhuang, China |
Baojuan Zheng, Research
Investment Fund (RIF) Fellowship
B.E. Geology, Jilin University, 2006
Final Year, SL 060, 274-3864
“Using Satellite
Hyperspectral Imagery to Map Soil Organic
Matter, Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus”
Broadly, I am interested in remote sensing
applications for monitoring and assessing
environmental problems. In the past year, I
have focused on mapping soil properties
using remote sensing techniques.
Agricultural soil samples were collected
concurrent with the satellite hyperspectral
imagery and their soil properties such as
organic matter content, moisture content,
and phosphorus were analyzed. What I am
attempting to do is to estimate soil
properties from satellite hyperspectral
imagery by developing Partial least-squares
model. This work could be useful for
precision agriculture and reducing
environmental pollution due to excess
application of crop-production inputs.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lin Li |
 IUPUI Earth Sciences Department
723 West Michigan
Street, SL118
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
317.274.7484
317.274.7966 (fax)
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