Faculty
Theodore J. Bornhorst
Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Cognitive and Learning Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Geology of metallic ore deposits with emphasis on geochemistry
- Geology and native copper deposits of the Keweenawan Midcontinent rift system
- Geology and mineral deposits of the Archean of Upper Peninsula of Michigan, especially the Ishpeming greenstone belt
- Geochemistry and geology of selected metallic ore deposits in Finland
- Statistical analysis of geoscience data
- Environmental geochemistry as applied to metallic ore deposits
Simon Carn
Associate Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Research Interests
- Using satellite measurements to constrain global volcanic SO2 production and emissions from individual volcanoes
- Validation of OMI SO2 retrievals using correlative data from ground-based, airborne and space-borne instruments
- Tracking volcanic SO2 and ash clouds operationally for aviation hazard mitigation
- Remote sensing of tropospheric volcanic plumes using DOAS and FTIR
- Quantifying anthropogenic emissions of SO2 from sources such as copper smelters and oil and gas fields
- Mitigation of the environmental and health impacts of volcanic degassing using satellite data
- Comparisons between satellite observations and chemical transport model simulations of volcanic clouds and plumes
John S. Gierke
Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Faculty Advisor, Aqua Terra Tech Enterprise
Links of Interest
Teaching Interests
- Hydrogeology
- Ground water Engineering
- Contaminant Transport
- Subsurface Remediation
Research Interests
- Field performance of air sparging for removing volatile organic chemicals from ground water
- Volatile organic vapor transport in unsaturated soils
- Sulfur dioxide interactions with volcanic ash
James Murray Gillis
Instructor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Director, Mine Safety and Health Training Program
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Process/product development, instrumentation and process control
- Ammounium carbonate leaching of metallic compounds
- Agglomeration of waste oxides
- Oxidation tower design
- Classification of fine particulate
- Spray drying of metallic compounds.
Jason D Gulley
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
906-487-2534
jdgulley@mtu.edu
jdgulley@mtu.edu
Core research areas
- hydrogeology, particularly of karst aquifers, and glaciology
Specific current research interests include:
- How sea level fluctuations and climate change affect groundwater circulation and the formation of post depositional porosity in carbonate platforms
- How interactions between surface and groundwater affect dissolution, fluid flow and ecohydrology in carbonate platforms
- Physical processes responsible for dynamic coupling between glacier hydrology and ice motion with implications for understanding rates of sea level rise
Jacqueline Huntoon
Dean of the Graduate School
Associate Provost for Graduate Education
Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Specialties
- Oversees all aspects of graduate education
- Evaluates programs and student outcomes
Louisa Kramer
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Long-range transport of trace gases and their impact on the chemical composition of the atmosphere
- Satellite remote sensing and validation
- Surface-atmosphere fluxes of reactive gas species from soils and snow
- Development of instrumentation for measuring atmospheric trace gases
Alex S. Mayer
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Teaching Interests
- Groundwater flow and transport and subsurface remediation
Research Interests
- Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Contaminant Transport in Groundwater Vadose Zones
- Mathematical Optimization of Groundwater Remediation Systems: Multi-Objective and Uncertainty Problems
- Surfactant-Enhanced Dissolution of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids in Subsurface Systems
- Groundwater Flow in a Fault Zone in the Vicinity of Desert Hot Springs, California
- Simulation of Saltwater Intrusion in the Guaymas Valley, Sonora, Mexico California
Colleen B. Mouw
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Oceanography and Limnology
- Aquatic optics and remote sensing
- Development of novel aquatic satellite products
- Aquatic biogeochemical processes
- Phytoplankton ecology
- Response of aquatic systems to environmental change
Thomas Oommen
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Teaching Interests
- Computer Methods in Geomechanics
- Computational Geoscience
- Remote Sensing for Geotechniques
- Geostatistics and Data Analysis
Research Interests
- Liquefaction susceptibility evaluation at local and regional scales using in-situ measurements and remote sensing observations
- Estimating liquefaction induced damage such as lateral spread displacement
- Active learning to identify data gaps in empirical models
- Documenting earthquake induced damages, especially liquefaction using aerial/satellite images that are sensitive to surficial moisture
- Spatial statistics for predictive modeling of georesource prospectivity
Wayne D. Pennington
Department Chair, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Professor of Geophysical Engineering, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Properties of rocks under varying conditions of saturation, stress, and heterogeneity
- Oil and gas exploration and development
- Seismic petrophysics -- relating rock properties to seismic observations, particularly in oil and gas development
- Earthquake seismology, particularly induced seismicity, and humanitarian aspects of large earthquakes
- Administrator of the SPOT Lab (seismic petrophysics: observation and theory)
Muhammad Azeem Raza
Instructor, Mining Engineering
906-487-2531
maraza@mtu.edu
maraza@mtu.edu
Teaching Interests
- Surface Mining Methods & Design
- Surface Mining Equipment
- Underground Mining Methods and Equipment
- Ore body modeling and Reserve Estimation
Research Interests
- Stress and Failure Modeling of Heavy Mining Equipment
- Fatigue Failure and Life Expectancy Modeling of Heaving Mining Equipment
- Mine Layout Design & Planning
- Process Optimization in Mining
- Mine Reserve Estimation
- Material Handling in Mines
George W. Robinson
Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Mineralogy of the Grenville Province
- Characterization of new mineral species
- Mineral occurrences and paragenesis
- Conservation of minerals and geological materials
- Mineralogy in museums
William I. Rose
Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Research Interests
- Volcanology
- Remote Sensing
- Volcanic Clouds
Robert A. Shuchman
Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences
Co-director of the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)
Research Interests
- Oceanic Sciences/Natural Resources
- AR, MS, and Photo-imaging Applied to Oceanography
- Earth Resources
- Military Coastal Environmental Assessment
Aleksey Smirnov
Associate Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- The long-term evolution of the Earth's magnetic field (especially in relation to the geodynamo mechanisms and the early history of the field) and its geological and geodynamical implications
- Geodynamics and global plate tectonics (eg., large igneous province formation and true polar wander)
- Magnetism of rocks, minerals, and synthetic materials
- Environmental magnetism (eg., biomineralization and the relationships between physical, chemical and magnetic properties of minerals)
- Development of new techniques and instruments for paleomagnetic and rock magnetic research
Greg Waite
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Seismic source mechanisms of tectonic and volcanic earthquakes
- Mantle and crustal-scale seismic tomography
- The relationship of seismic anisotropy to fluids and strain
- Active-source investigations of magmatic systems
- Triggering of earthquakes by magmatic and hydrous fluid migration
- Relationship between shallow syneruptive volcanic earthquakes and degassing
James R. Wood
Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Petroleum geology
- Geochemistry
- Solution chemistry
- Diagenisis
- Thermodynamics
- Computer mapping and visualization
Shiliang Wu
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Interactions among climate, atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and land use/land cover
- Impacts of global change on atmospheric chemistry and long-range transport of air pollution
- Anthropogenic perturbations to the atmosphere and implications for environmental sustainability
- Atmosphere-biosphere interactions, especially in the context of global change
- Impacts of aerosols on the global hydrological cycle