Alumni Advisory Board
About the Advisory Board
The mission of the Advisory Board is to provide external perspective, advice, recommendations, resources and related assistance as requested by the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences (students and faculty). The Board provides opportunities for alumni and associated supporters to become better acquainted with the activities and accomplishments of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and to use their combined professional experience, expertise, and resources to influence and promote the Department’s ongoing success.
Board members are available for students to contact regarding career and resume advice, or other general mentoring. If you want to get in touch with a specific board member, please contact the EPS department head or administrative assistant.
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Jake Alexander
Membership Chair
Profession: Economic Geologist, Utah Geological Survey
Graduation year: MS 2020 | Advisor: Linda Kah
Email: jhalexander3@gmail.com | Website
Mike Allison
Research or Area of Expertise: Economic Geology, Upstream E&P IT Management, Drone Services
Profession: Business Owner, Consultant
Graduation year: MS 1984 | Advisor: Kula Misra
Email: mike@raptoraerialservices.com | Website
Roger Bohanan
Research or Area of Expertise: Petrology & Geoarcheology // Petroleum Geology
Profession: Petroleum Geologist
Graduation year: MS 1975 | Advisor: Kopp
Vicki Brumback
Research or Area of Expertise: Metamorphic Petrology & Structure // Groundwater
Profession: Sampling and Analysis Coordinator/Geologist
Graduation year: MS 1990 | Advisor: McSween
Dr. Dave L Cantrell
Research or Area of Expertise: Carbonate sedimentology, stratigraphy, diagenesis and reservoir quality
Profession: President, Cantrell GeoLogic LLC; previously Principal Professional, Aramco
Graduation year: BA 1979, MS 1982 | Advisor: Ken Walker
Email: cantrellgeologic@gmail.com | Website
Greg Carlson
Research or Area of Expertise: Environmental & Construction
Profession: Senior Project Manager, HydroGeoLogic LLC
Graduation year: BS 2011
Email: gcarlson@hgl.com
Michael Coffey
Graduation year: MS 1986
Julie Coulombe
Research or Area of Expertise: Igneous Petrology
Profession: Pellissippi State, Adjunct Professor
Graduation year: MS 2022 | Advisor: McCanta
Email: juliecoulombe98@gmail.com
Brent Couzens-Schultz
Research or Area of Expertise: Pore and Fracture Pressure Prediction for Exploration and Well Design
Profession: Manager Geohazards and Pore Pressure
Graduation year: MS 1992 | Advisor: William Dunne
Email: brent.couzens@att.net | Website
Thomas Cronin
Secretary
Research or Area of Expertise: Economic Geology // Oil & Gas Field Development; Geology Education
Profession: Petroleum Geologist, Retired from O&G Industry
Graduation year: BA 1980; MS 1983 | Advisor: Misra
Email: thomascronin949@yahoo.com | Website
Dennis Cumbie
Awards Chair
Research or Area of Expertise: Hydrogeology, Groundwater, Watershed Management, Stormwater
Profession: Water Programs Div. Mgr., Loudoun County, VA
Graduation year: MS 1997 | Advisor: McKay
Tim Davis
Research or Area of Expertise: Structure, Tectonics, New Ventures, Fractures, Geomechanics
Profession: Petroleum Geologist
Graduation year: PhD 1993 | Advisor: Hatcher
Wesley Diehl
Research or Area of Expertise: Carbonate Paleoecology // Operations Geology
Profession: Petroleum Geologist
Graduation year: MS 1982 | Advisor: Walker
Email: wwdiehl@gmail.com
Damani A. Driver
Research or Area of Expertise: Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Applications Using Machine Learning and Bespoke Algorithms
Profession: Software Engineer and Release Manager at Maxar Technologies
Graduation year: BS 2015
Christopher Gates
Research or Area of Expertise: Grade Control, Face Mapping and Grading, Stope Development and Mapping, Planning and Implementation of Short Range Exploration, Ore Resource and Reserve Management, and Mine Planning
Profession: Petroleum Geologist, Nyrstar East Tennessee Mines
Graduation year: MS 2018 | Advisor: Perfect
Emily Goodman
Research or Area of Expertise: Carbonate Geochemistry, Petroleum Geology
Profession: Petroleum Geologist
Graduation year: BS 2003, MS 2005 | Advisor: Kah
Gerry Gulley
Graduation year: BA 1978; JD 1989
Pat Hackworth
Research or Area of Expertise: Health and Safety, Environmental Geology
Profession: Chst Safety Representative at GEM Technologies
Graduation year: BS 1995
Pat Hammond
Research or Area of Expertise: Hydrogeology
Profession: Maryland Department of the Environment (retired)
Graduation year: MS 1981 | Advisor: Taylor
Email: phammond@broadstripe.net
Stefan Higgins
Research or Area of Expertise: Igneous Petrology, Petroleum Geology, Geophysics
Profession: Petroleum Geologist and Geophysicist
Graduation year: MS 1996 | Advisor: Taylor
Matt Huebner
Research or Area of Expertise: Structural Geology, Engineering Geology, Geologic Hazards
Profession: Senior Geologist, Tennessee Valley Authority
Graduation year: PhD 2013 | Advisor: Bob Hatcher
Email: mthuebner@tva.gov | Website
David E. Jackson
Research or Area of Expertise: Igneous Petrology, Environmental Quality and Remediation
Profession: Environmental Geologist
Graduation year: BA 1978; MS 1982 | Advisor: Taylor
Hart Knight
Research or Area of Expertise: Environmental Law
Profession: Attorney
Graduation year: BA 2002; JD 2006 | Advisor: Byerly & McKay
Rachel Kronyak
Research or Area of Expertise: Mars geology/sedimentology, mission operations, fracture mechanics
Profession: Operations/Science Systems Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Graduation year: Ph.D. Geology, 2019 | Advisor: Linda Kah
Email: rek5139@gmail.com
Arthur Merschat
Nominating Chair
Research or Area of Expertise: Structure & Tectonics, Geologic Mapping
Profession: Research Geologist, Government/Research
Graduation year: MS 2003; PhD 2009 | Advisor: Hatcher
Email: arthurmerschat@hotmail.com
Grant Mincy
Research or Area of Expertise: Environmental Geology and Geochemistry
Profession: Instructor
Graduation year: MS 2012 | Advisor: McKinney
Harry Moore
Research or Area of Expertise: Engineering Geology
Profession: Consulting Engineering Geologist
Graduation year: MS 1972 | Advisor: McLaughlin
John Neale
Research or Area of Expertise: Petroleum Geology
Profession: Semi-retired
Graduation year: MS 1980 (Florida State)
Email: mjohnneale@gmail.com
Ron Neale
Research or Area of Expertise: Depositional Modeling, Petroleum Geology, Sedimentology
Profession: Petroleum Geologist, consultant, semi-retired
Graduation year: MS 1974 | Advisor: Briggs
Scott O’Beirne
Finance Chair
Research or Area of Expertise: Engineering, Formation Evaluation, Petrophysics
Profession: Petroleum Engineer
Graduation year: BS CE 1980 (Tenn.Tech)
Email: scott.obeirne@gmail.com | Website
Ashley Ramsey
Advisory Board Chair
Research or Area of Expertise: Geochemistry, Stable Isotopes, Environmental Geology
Profession: Environmental Geologist
Graduation year: MS 2018 | Advisor: Szynkiewicz
Valerie S. Reynolds
Research or Area of Expertise: Planetary Geology, Igneous Petrology
Profession: Lecturer
Graduation year: PhD 2005 | Advisor: McSween
Dibyendu “Dibs” Sarkar
Research or Area of Expertise: Environmental Geochemistry, Quality and Remediation
Profession: Professor of Environmental Engineering
Graduation year: PhD 1997 | Advisor: Misra/Essington
Bryan Schultz
Research or Area of Expertise: Geology, Pedology, Morphology, Public Education
Profession: Educator
Graduation year: BS 2002, MS 2005 | Advisor: McKay & Driese
Shan Shanmugam
Research or Area of Expertise: Sedimentology
Profession: Adjunct Faculty, University of Texas at Arlington
Graduation year:
Christopher Dean Singleton
Research or Area of Expertise: Environmental Geology
Profession: President & CEO, Singleton Environmental, Inc.
Graduation year: BS 1995
Email: chris@singletonenvironmental.com
Preston Sitterly
Graduation year: MS 1976 | Advisor: Walker
Krishnan Srinivasan
Research or Area of Expertise: Sedimentology, Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy, Petroleum Geology
Profession: Technical Team Lead, ONGC Videsh Atlantic Inc.
Graduation year: PhD 1993 | Advisor: Walker
Email: ksrini60@gmail.com
Ronald M Tisdale
Research or Area of Expertise: Oil and Gas Resources, General Geoscience Consulting
Profession: Director Geoscience, Toccoa Resources, LLC
Graduation year: MS in Geology 1974 | Advisor: Garrett Briggs
Email: rmttri@gmail.com | Website
Syreeta Dickerson Vaughn
Mentorship and Outreach Chair
Research or Area of Expertise: Environmental Geology, Hydrology, Uranium Contamination & Safety Controls
Profession: Senior Nuclear Safety Specialist
Graduation year: MS 2005 | Advisor: McKay
Email: syreeta777@gmail.com | Website
Christina Vivano
Research or Area of Expertise: Planetary Geology, Remote sensing
Profession: Senior Professional Staff II (Research Scientist)
Graduation year: PhD, 2012 | Advisor: Jeffrey Moersch
Email: cviviano@gmail.com | Website
John White
Research or Area of Expertise: Clastic Depositional Environments, Geophysical Interpretation, Reservoirs
Profession: Consulting Geophysicist, 1968–1970 U.S. Army Geophysical Consultant
Graduation year: MS 1975 | Advisor: Briggs
Email: johntennffw@gmail.com
