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Jacob Benner

Distinguished Lecturer & Laboratory Coordinator  |  He/him  |  865-974-6013  |  jbenner@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Paleontology, Sedimentary Geology

Research Interests: Ichnology and paleoecology

Jordan Burkey

Lecturer  |  She/Her  |  jburkey1@utk.edu

Research Discipline: Structural Geology and Tectonics

Research Interests: My research is in structural geology and neotectonics with a focus on active faulting in the Eastern California Shear Zone. Research includes geologic mapping of Quaternary landforms, and calculations of slip rates and paleoearthquake histories.

Meilian (Maggie) Chen

Lecturer and Laboratory Coordinator  |  mchen51@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Climate Change, Environmental Science, Geochemistry

Research Interests: My research interests in environmental biogeochemistry focus on dynamics of dissolved organic matter in inland waters, coastal ecosystems, polar oceans, and sediments.

Stephanie K. Drumheller

Senior Lecturer  |  she/her  |  865-974-2366  |  sdrumhel@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Paleontology, Paleobiology

Research Interests: My research interests center on taphonomy, ichnology, paleopathology, and paleoecology, especially as applied to understanding the evolution and behaviors of archosaurs.

William Dunne

Professor, Assoc. Dean  |  865-974-4161  |  wdunne@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Structural Geology

Research Interests: Mesoscopic and Microscopic Structures in Sedimentary and Low-Grade Metamorphic Rocks

Nicholas Dygert

Associate Professor  |  he/him/his  |  865-974-6022  |  ndygert1@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: I use field investigations, experiments, and numerical models to understand processes that shape the evolution of planetary interiors and crusts, and to interpret their expressions in the rock record. My focus is the Earth and Moon.

Annette Summers Engel

Donald H. and Florence Jones Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry  |  she/her/hers  |  865-974-0402  |  aengel1@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Climate Change, Earth System Science, Environmental Science, Geochemistry, Geomicrobiology

Research Interests: Understand and improve water and environmental quality by exploring how biological activities interact with and impact geological and geochemical processes through time using advanced geochemistry and geomicrobiology methods.

Chris Fedo

Professor  |  he/him/his  |  865-974-6002  |  cfedo@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Climate Change, Geochemistry, Planetary Geoscience, Sedimentary Geology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy

Research Interests: I study clastic sediments and sedimentary rocks in order to interpret planetary surface processes including weathering, transport, sedimentary environments, stratigraphy, and lithification.

Terry C. Hazen

Governor’s Chair for Environmental Biotechnology  |  865-974-8080  |  tchazen@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Geomicrobiology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Science

Research Interests: Environmental Microbiology; Systems Biology approach to Bioremediation, Bioenergy and Water Quality

Dan Hembree

Professor  |  he, him, his  |  865-974-3788  |  dhembre2@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Climate Change, Paleontology, Paleobiology, Sedimentary Geology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy

Research Interests: Use of ichnology and paleopedology to study the evolution of ancient to modern soils, soil ecosystems, and landscapes as well as evaluating the effect of long-term climate change on terrestrial ecosystems through Earth history.

Shichun Huang

Associate Professor  |  he/him/his  |  865-974-8347  |  shuang25@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Geochemistry, Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: I use elemental and isotopic tracers, together with petrology and mineralogy, to study the Earth’s mantle and the early Solar System.

Robert Jacobsen

Lecturer  |  rjacobse@vols.utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Geoscience Education, Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: Evidence-based teaching practices for large classrooms, graduate student professional development, K-12 STEM education and outreach

Linda Kah

Kenneth R. Walker Professor  |  865-974-6399  |  lckah@utk.edu

Research Discipline: Earth System Science, Geochemistry, Geomicrobiology, Paleobiology, Planetary Geoscience, Sedimentary Geology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy

Research Interests: My lab integrates sedimentology, geochemistry, and paleobiology to understand planetary biospheres. We explore rock fabrics and geochemical data to understand the evolution of the early Earth, and investigate potential habitable environments on Mars.

Molly McCanta

Associate Professor  |  she/her/hers  |  865-974-6003  |  mmccanta@utk.edu

Research Discipline: Geochemistry, Petrology, Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: I am an igneous petrologist whose research is focused on the mineralogic record of magma storage regions conditions and eruptive processes on Earth and other terrestrial bodies.

Larry McKay

Assoc. Dean and Jones Professor of Hydrogeology  |  865-974-4378  |  lmckay@utk.edu

Research Discipline: Hydrogeology

Michael McKinney

Professor  |  865-974-6359  |  mmckinne@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Earth System Science, Environmental Science

Research Interests: Urban ecology: maximizing biodiversity and ecosystem services on green roofs and green infrastructure, urban invasive species, microplastic pollution. Freshwater mussels and snails: relocation success metrics.

Jeff Moersch

Professor  |  865-974-0371  |  jmoersch@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: Planetary surfaces; Unmanned spacecraft exploration of the Solar System; Remote Sensing; Terrestrial analogs for planetary surfaces; Instrument development; Exploration science and methodology.

Amelia (Amy) Robinson

Lecturer  |  she/her  |  865-974-8340  |  arobins5@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Interests: Geochemistry and Hydrogeology

Gregory A. Snyder

Postdoctoral Teaching Associate  |  865-974-3665  |  gsnyde10@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Interests: Geochemistry

Drew Steen

Associate Professor  |  he/him  |  865-974-4014  |  asteen1@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Geochemistry, Geomicrobiology

Research Interests: I’m interested in how microbes affect the Earth and vice versa. I’m particularly interested in microbe-organic matter interactions in low-energy environments, like marine sediments and permafrost soils.

Alycia L Stigall

Department Head and Jones/Bibee Professor  |  she/her  |  865-974-5499  |  stigall@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Earth System Science, Paleontology, Paleobiology

Research Interests: Paleoecology, biogeography, and speciation; invasive species in the fossil record; Ordovician marine ecosystems; brachiopods; broadening participation in science

Colin D Sumrall

Associate Professor  |  He Him  |  865-974-0400  |  csumrall@utk.edu

Research Discipline: Earth System Science, Paleontology, Paleobiology

Research Interests: I use field investigations, phylogenetic methods and morphological analysis to understand the timing, nature and ecology of echinoderm evolution and the origin of modern taxa.

Anna Szynkiewicz

Associate Professor  |  865-974-6006  |  aszynkie@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Environmental Science, Geochemistry, Hydrogeology, Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: I am a geologist and stable isotope geochemist using chemical and light isotope tracers to study surface processes related to water activity on Earth and Mars. I also investigate the origin of sulfur-bearing minerals on Mars.

Bradley Thomson

Assistant Professor  |  he/him  |  865-974-2699  |  bthom@utk.edu  |  Website

Research Discipline: Planetary Geoscience

Research Interests: As a planetary geologist, I am interested in understanding the physical processes that have shaped the surfaces of the terrestrial planets, including impact, eolian, fluvial, lacustrine, and volcanic processes.