As an aqueous geochemist at Penn State, my title is Distinguished Professor of Geosciences. I am also the Director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and the Laboratory for Isotopes and Metals in the Environment. I investigate chemical, geological, biological, physical, and anthropogenic processes associated with the circulation of aqueous fluids in shallow hydrogeologic settings, with a particular focus on inter-relationships within the critical zone. I have a Ph.D. in geological and geophysical sciences from Princeton University.
This faculty member is associated with the Penn State Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) where a multitude of perspectives and cross-disciplinary collaboration within research is highly valued. Graduate students in the IGDP in MatSE may work with faculty members from across Penn State.
Research Interests and Current research projects include:
- Critical zone science
- Weathering, erosion, and soil formation
- Water quality issues associated with agriculture and hydraulic fracturing
My research focuses on natural and human-induced reactions among water, rock, gas, biota, and soil. I have long been interested in the rates and mechanisms of water-rock reactions in the field and in the laboratory, including how we measure them, reproduce them in the laboratory, and model them.