Faculty and Staff
Our faculty and staff set us apart.
The Department of Geology and Geological Engineering has the teaching and research faculty to train the next generation of geoscientists and geoengineers. It is our commitment to maintain solid experimental, hands-on, field-oriented, quantitative, and analytical education.
We currently have 19 Academic Faculty, 2 Teaching Faculty, 9 Research Faculty, and many active Emeritus Professors and Affiliate Faculty. You will find that we are involved in research from Alaska to southern Chile, and from California through Europe and Africa to the Far East, in addition to many projects here at home in the Rocky Mountains. We also have four staff members in the department who are happy to help.
Department Head
Academic Faculty
David Benson
Professor
Hydrology
dbenson@mines.edu
303-273-3806
Wendy Bohrson
Professor and Department Head
Volcanology
bohrson@mines.edu
303-273-3066
Mathias Burisch
Associate Professor
Starting January 2023
burisch@mines.edu
Kevin Cannon
Assistant Professor
Planetary Sciences, Space Resources, Remote Sensing, Geospatial Analysis, Mineralogy
cannon@mines.edu
Zhaoshan Chang
Professor and Charles F. Fogarty Endowed Chair
Economic Geology
chang@mines.edu
303-384-2127
Brendan Hanger
Teaching Assistant Professor
Geoscience Education, Igneous Petrology, Geochemistry
hanger@mines.edu
303-273-3828
Yvette Kuiper
Associate Professor
Structural Geology, Field Geology, Geochronology
ykuiper@mines.edu
303-273-3105
Adrienne Marshall
Assistant Professor
Snow Hydrology, Ecohydrology, Hydropower, Climate Change
adriennemarshall@mines.edu
303-273-3886
Thomas Monecke
Professor and Co-Director of CMRS
Economic Geology
tmonecke@mines.edu
303-273-3841
Alexis Navarre-Sitchler
Associate Professor and Ben Fryrear Endowed Chair for Innovation and Excellence
Aqueous Geochemistry
asitchle@mines.edu
303-384-2219
Piret Plink-Björklund
Professor
Stratigraphy, Sedimentology
pplink@mines.edu
303-273-2042
Danica Roth
Assistant Professor Jointly Appointed: Geology & Geological Engineering and Geophysics
Geomorphology, Environmental Seismology
droth@mines.edu
303-273-3802
Paul Santi
Professor
Engineering Geology
psanti@mines.edu
303-273-3108
Christian V. Shorey
Teaching Professor
Environmental Science, Climatology
cshorey@mines.edu
303-273-3556
Kamini Singha
Professor and Associate Dean of Earth and Society Programs
Hydrogeology and Hydrogeophysics
ksingha@mines.edu
303-273-3822
Stephen A. Sonnenberg
Professor and Charles Boettcher Distinguished Chair
Petroleum Geology
ssonnenb@mines.edu
303-384-2182
Bruce Trudgill
Associate Professor
Petroleum, Structural Geology
btrudgil@mines.edu
303-273-3883
Ryan Venturelli
Assistant Professor
Paleoglaciology, Isotope Geochemistry
venturelli@mines.edu
303-273-3800
Gabriel Walton
Associate Professor
Engineering Geology, Underground Construction & Tunneling
gwalton@mines.edu
303-384-2235
Lesli J. Wood
Professor, Associate Department Head and Weimer Distinguished Chair
Sedimentary Geology
lwood@mines.edu
303-273-3801
Research Faculty
Mary Carr
Research Assistant Professor
Petroleum Geology
mcarr@mines.edu
303-273-3107
Marsha French
Research Professor
Petroleum Geology
mwfrench@mines.edu
303-273-3800
Ben Frieman
Research Assistant Professor
Structural Geology, Tectonics
bfrieman@mines.edu
303-273-3854
Richard Goldfarb
Research Professor
Geology, Metallogeny
goldfarb@mines.edu
303-273-3800
Zane R. Jobe
Research Professor and
Director of the Chevron Center of Research Excellence (CoRE)
Sedimentary Systems
zanejobe@mines.edu
303-273-3601
David Leach
Research Professor
Sedimentary Metal Ore Deposits
dleach@mines.edu
303-273-3800
Katharina Pfaff
Research Associate Professor
Mineral Exploration
kpfaff@mines.edu
303-384-2487
J. Frederick (Rick) Sarg
Research Professor
Petroleum Geology and Stratigraphy
jsarg@mines.edu
303-273-3729
Research Associates
Simon Kocher
Research Associate
Ore Mineralogy, Hydrothermal Ore-forming Processes, Mineral Systems
skocher@mines.edu
303-273-3817
Susann Stolze
Research Associate
Stable Isotope Geochemistry, Palynology
sstolze@mines.edu
Berthoud Hall 226B
303-384-2128
Postdoctoral Researchers
JOHN DEDECKER
Gold-Rich VMS Deposits, Geology of the Iskut River Area, Uranium and Vanadium Deposits.
jdedecke@mines.edu
SHIQIANG HUANG
Economic Geology
shiqianghuang@mines.edu
ERIK THARALSON
Epithermal Au-Ag Deposits, Physical Volcanology, Igneous Petrology, Mafic-ultramafic Related Ni-Cu-PGE Deposits
etharals@mines.edu
Staff
Mary Doherty
Program Manager for Professional Master Non-thesis Students
medoherty@mines.edu
Berthoud Hall 311D
303-273-3930
Julie Lambert
Department Manager
jmlambert@mines.edu
Berthoud Hall 221E
303-273-3978
Kelsey Livingston
Lab Coordinator
klivingston@mines.edu
Berthoud Hall 147
303-273-3824
Sarah Lizarraga
Program Outreach Coordinator
slizarraga@mines.edu
Marquez Hall 205
303-273-3747
Emeritus Faculty
Graham Closs
Associate Professor Emeritus
Exploration Geochemistry and Economic Geology
lcloss@mines.edu
Timothy Cross
Associate Professor Emeritus
Stratigraphy and Petroleum Geology
tcross@yahoo.com
John B. Curtis
Professor Emeritus
Petroleum Geology and Geochemistry
jbcurtis@mines.edu
Thomas ‘Trobe’ Grose
Professor Emeritus
Exploration Field Geology
tgrose@mines.edu
WENDY HARRISON
Professor Emerita
Aqueous Geochemistry and Geochemical Modeling
wharriso@mines.edu
John D. Haun
Professor Emeritus
Stratigraphy and Petroleum Geology
jhaun@mines.edu
Jerry D. Higgins
Professor Emeritus
Engineering Geology and Geotechnics
jhiggins@mines.edu
Gregory S. Holden
Associate Professor Emeritus
Petrology
gholden@mines.edu
Neil F. Hurley
Professor Emeritus
Petroleum Geology
nfhurley@comcast.net
Keenan Lee
Professor Emeritus
Remote Sensing, Geomorphology, Catastrophic Geology
klee@mines.edu
Eileen P. Poeter
Professor Emerita and former director of IGWMC
Geohydrology, Inverse Modeling
epoeter@mines.edu
Samuel B. Romberger
Professor Emeritus
Aqueous Geochemistry, Economic Geology
sromberg@mines.edu
John E. Warme
Professor Emeritus
Stratigraphy, Basin Analysis
jwarme@mines.edu
Richard (Ric) F. Wendlandt
Professor Emeritus
Geochemistry and Mineralogy
rwendlan@mines.edu
303-273-3809
Joint Appointees
M. STEPHEN ENDERS
Mineral Exploration, Mining Industry
menders@mines.edu
ELIZABETH HOLLEY
Economic Geology, Mining Geology, Sustainability
eholley@mines.edu
JEFFREY LEE
Structure, Tectonics
lee1@mines.edu
External Joint Appointees
Eric Anderson
Geophysics, Economic Geology
ericanderson@usgs.gov
Matt Emmons
Analytical instrumentation/ mass spectrometry/ time-of-flight mass spectrometry; Isotope ratio measurement methods/ applications; Stable isotope ratio analysis of palynomorphs; Micropaleontological applications of stable isotope ratio analysis.
MEmmons@USGS.gov
Susan Hall
Economic Geology
susanhall@usgs.gov
Robert Zielinski
Trace Element Geochemistry, Energy Development Environmental Impacts, Uranium Ore Deposit Genesis & U Source Rocks, Geochemistry of Uranium, Radium, and their Isotopes
rzielinski@usgs.gov
Affiliate Faculty
DONNA S. ANDERSON
Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, Reservoir Characterization
dsanders@mines.edu
TUCKER BARRIE
Genesis Metallic Mineral Deposits, Igneous Geochemistry, Sustainable Resource Management
barriect@sympatico.ca
MATTHEW BAUER
Petroleum Geology, Data Analytics
bauer@mines.edu
MIKE BOYLES
Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Reservoir Characterization
jmboyles@mines.edu
BEN BURKE
Geochemistry, Data Analytics, Petroleum Geology
bcburke@mines.edu
TIMOTHY COLLETT
Gas Hydrates, Geophysics, Sedimentology, Continental Margin Geology
tcollett@usgs.gov
WARREN DAY
Field Geology, Regional Tectonics, Structural Geology, Petrology, Economic Geology
wday@usgs.gov
MICHAEL DOE
Proterozoic Geology, Geochronology, Tectonic Processes, Structural Geology, Petroleum Geology
mfdoegeo@gmail.com
GEOFFREY ELLIS
Organic Geochemistry, Stable Isotope Geochemistry Sedimentary Basin Geology
gsellis@usgs.gov
POUL EMSBO
Economic Geology, Regional Tectonics, Geochemistry
pemsbo@usgs.gov
MILOVAN FUSTIC
Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Reservoir Characterization, Petroleum Geology/ Geochemistry
milovan.fustic@nu.edu.kz
DAVID GOCHIS
Hydrometeorology
gochis@ucar.edu
V.J.S. (‘TIEN’) GRAUCH
Mid-continental Rift and Lake Superior Region Geology, Geophysics, Mineral Exploration
tien@usgs.gov
SETH HAINES
Seismic Surveys to Gas Hydrate, Mineral exploration
shaines@usgs.gov
THOMAS HEARON
Structural Geology
thomashearon@gmail.com
ALBERT HOFSTRA
Economic Geology, Noble Gas Geochemistry, Regional Tectonics
ahofstra@usgs.gov
KAREN KELLEY
Exploration Geochemistry
kdkelley@mines.edu
NIGEL KELLY
Applied Petrology, Geochemistry and Geochronology
nkelly@mines.edu
PHILLIP S. ‘FLIP’ KOCH
Rock Mechanics, Structural Analysis, Economic Development
pskoch@mines.edu
RYAN KROMER
Geohazards, Remote Sensing, Landslide Monitoring
rkromer@mines.edu
AL LACAZETTE
Hot Sedimentary Aquifer Geothermal Energy, Structural Geology, Natural Rock Fracture Mechanics & Fracture Systems, Borehole Image Interpretation, Seismic Interpretation, Chemical & Mechanical Interplays of Fluid-rock Interaction
lacazette@mines.edu
MATTHEW LATO
Geohazard Risk Assessment, Landslide Characterization
mLato@bgcengineering.ca
MARK LONGMAN
Carbonates, Petrography, Mudrock Reservoirs, SEM Studies
mwlongman1@aol.com
JEFFREY MAUK
Economic Geology, Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Environmental Impacts of Mining
jmauk@usgs.gov
JEFFREY MAY
Sequence Stratigraphy, Siliciclastic, Mudrock Sedimentology
jmay@mines.edu
LAWRENCE D. MEINERT
Economic Geology, Magmatic-Hydrothermal Processes, Mineralogy, Skarn Deposits, Space Resources, Scientific Publishing
LDmeinert@gmail.com
JESSE MELICK
Smart Geologic Upscaling, Deep-water Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Geomechanics, Petrophysics
jessemelick@gmail.com
BEN MIRUS
Landslides, Hydrology
bbmirus@usgs.gov
CLYDE MOORE
Carbonates, Geochemistry, Sedimentology, Stratigraphy of Carbonates
chmoore@mines.edu
LEAH MORGAN
Ar/Ar Dating, Economic Geology Applications
lemorgan@usgs.gov
RICHARD PALIN
Metamorphic Petrology
rmpalin@mines.edu
T. JAMES REYNOLDS
Fluid Inclusions, Economic Geology
treynolds@mines.edu
WILLIAM RIDLEY
Isotope/Trace Element Geochemistry, Petrology, Economic Geology
wridley@usgs.gov
THERESA SCHWARTZ
Sedimentary Geology
tschwartz@mines.edu
tmschwartz@usgs.gov
KEITH SHANLEY
Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Petrophysics, Reservoir Characterization
keith.shanley@anadarko.com
SANKHANEEL SINHA
Computational Geomechanics, Mining Ground Control, Rock Characterization
sankhaneelsinha@mines.edu
KIRA TIMM
Petroleum Geology, Mudrock Sedimentology, Petrography, Fluid Inclusions
kira.k.timm@gmail.com
DAVID WOOD
Structural Geology, Mineral System Mapping, Geometallurgy
davidwood@mines.edu
YUANHAI (STEVE) YANG
Unconventional Reservoir Characterization, Tight Formation Analysis, Specialty Logging Interpretation, Evaluation of Frac Effectiveness
steve.yang01@comcast.net