• BS, Chemistry 1986—Dartmouth College
• MS, Chemistry 1990—Cornell University
• PhD, Geology/Chemistry 1995—Cornell University

Research Projects

• Plume-ridge interaction in Northern Galapagos
  In spring 2010, we mapped the region between the Galapagos Spreading Center and the main archipelago. We also sampled nearly 50 sites by dredging and collected additional gravity and magnetic data. Our goal is to elucidate the nature of the relationship between the Galapagos plume and the adjacent mid-ocean ridge, which is clearly contaminated by the plume but the mechanism of plume material transport remains unknown. There is also a supplemental project on the northeast seamounts in the Galapagos.
• Origin of the Vanda Dike Swarm, Antarctica
  Through geochemical, petrologic, and geochronologic analyses coupled with field observations, we are attempting to understand the origin of the dike swarm in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica that occurred approximately 500 million years ago. We believe it may represent the transition between a convergent and divergent tectonic setting, and may as a result be able to inform us further about the nature of that tectonic rearrangement.
• Boiling-over pyroclastic density currents
  In a collaborative study with Dennis Geist (UI) and faculty at Georgia Tech, we are investigating the mechanism for boiling-over pyroclastic density currents, a recently documented hazard at several Andean (and likely other) volcanoes. Our study focuses on Cotopaxi and Tungurahua volcanoes. At Tungurahua, this eruptive mechanism poses a particular hazard to the surrounding community owing to the lack of precursor activity that precedes the density currents. My component of the project is based on geochemical analysis of juvenile material produced during the eruptive events, as well as collection of field observations and determining constraints on emplacement temperatures.
• Petrologic controls on volcanic eruptions
  This work includes geochemical analysis of samples collected during two seasons of field work on Hekla volcano and integrating that with the detailed in situ work being carried out by Dennis Geist and his students.