My Background

I can't say that I always knew I'd be a geophysicist, but growing up in San Diego, I got the chance to feel a few earthquakes and wonder. I did my bachelor's degree in physics at the University of Puget Sound and then decided geophysics would give me a chance to pursue the 'mechanics'-type physics I really enjoyed. I did my PhD at Caltech with Michael Gurnis, but I also worked with Joann Stock and Mark Simons.


Post-Doctoral Experience
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2002 - 2003
Project: Dynamics of Wedge Convection
Advisors: Drs. Greg Hirth and Peter Kelemen


Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Leeds, 2001 - 2002
Project: Lithospheric Instabilities with Lateral Variations in Viscosity
Advisor: Dr. Greg Houseman




Education

PhD., Geophysics
California Institute of Technology, September 1995 - October, 2001
Thesis Title: Multiscale Dynamics of Subduction Zones and Seafloor Morphology of the Osbourn Trough and Kermadec Trench
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Michael Gurnis

M.S., Geophysics
California Institute of Technology, September 1995 - June 1998

B.S., Physics
University of Puget Sound, September 1991 - May 1995
Honors Thesis: Application of CCD Imaging in Stellar Evolution Analysis.
Advisor: Dr. Alan Thorndike
Scientific Cruises

Honolulu, Hawaii to Lyttleton, N.Z. (N. B. Palmer), June 1998

Project manager. Oversaw data acquisition, processing and preliminary analysis of gravity, magnetic, echo sounder and swath bathymetry data. Conducted site survey of the Osbourn Trough to determine its origin.

Lyttleton, N.Z. to Tacahuano, Chile (N. B. Palmer), June 1997

Project manager. Oversaw data acquisition, processing and preliminary analysis of gravity, magnetic and echo sounder bathymetry data.

McMurdo Base, Antarctica to Lyttleton, N.Z. (N. B. Palmer), Feb. 1997 - March 1997

Monitored data acquisition and processed gravity and swath bathymetry data.