Teaching Portfolio

In teaching I try to ensure that all courses have clear goals and offer a toolbox of skills which students can directly transfer to their research.  My topical interests include global change for non-majors, meteorology and climatology, climate and society, dynamics and paleoclimatology of ENSO, physics of climate, Quaternary paleoclimatology and paleoecology, spatiotemporal statistics and data analysis, inferential statistics, experimental design, and field and isotope laboratory practica. 

As a research mentor I encourage an informal, respectful, collaborative environment.  If I have done my job properly, group members emerge with a deep understanding of the nature of paleoclimatic observations, strong analytical and quantitative skills, exposure to a hierarchy of climatological models, and a global perspective.  They can manage long-term tasks, publish in the peer-reviewed literature, win research and training grants, and speak clearly about their work.

Courses Offered

Name Course title Last offering
HDR Masterclass Spatiotemporal Data Analysis Workshop 2016 @ Univ of Wollongong
GEOL 789C Advanced Data Analysis Workshop Spr 2020@ Maryland
AOSC/GEOL123 Causes and Consequences of Global Climate Change Spr 2021 @ Maryland
GEOL 351/651 Statistics for Geoscientists Fall 2020 @ Maryland
GEOL 437 Global Climate Change Spr 2020 @ Maryland
GEOL 413/613 Geoscientific Modeling Fall 2021 @ Maryland
ATMO/GEOS597e Spatiotemporal Data Analysis Workshop Fall 2008 @ Arizona/Maryland
ATMO/GEOS 595c Patterns and Mechanisms of decadal climate variability Spr 2008 @ Arizona
NATS101 Introduction to Global Change/Honors Fall 2007 @ Arizona
NATS101 Intro to Global Change, "AIT" section Fall 2007 @ Arizona
GEOS595e Journal Club: Topics in Dendrochronology Spr 2007 @ Arizona
ATMO/GEOS513 ENSO: Past, Present, Future Spr 2006 @ Arizona
GEO101IN Weather and Climate Spr 2005 @ TOCC
GEOS595e Topics, Tools and Techniques in Paleoclimate Research Spr 2004 @ Arizona

Supervisees and Their Research Projects

Name Dept. Topic Degree
Austin Carter Civil Engineering bioengineering BS 2024 (exp)
Sandy Hardian Susanto Herho GEOL radiative forcing of ENSO MS 2022 (exp)
Zijiang (River) Yang Civil Engineering DDT remediation in soils and earthworms PhD 2021; primary supervisor: A.Torrents; now postdoc at UMD/USDA/Beltsville 
Urjoshi Nahid Poolesville HS External radiative forcing of ENSO activity ERHS 2020
Jenna Wollney Geology Volcanic forcing of ENSO activity BS 2020; now faculty research assistant, Paleoclimate CoLaboratory
Anna Lowien Geography/ENSP stable isotope laboratory research assistant NOAA Hollings Fellow (2017); BS 2019; now PhD student in hydrology, Univ New Hampshire
Jason Chase Geology stable isotope laboratory research assistant BS 2019
Julian Leal Geology stable isotope laboratory research assistant BS 2019
Amanda Speciale Env Sci and Policy acquisition of stable isotopic data from Australian wood BS 2019
Katie Haviland Geography stable isotope laboratory research assistant BS 2017; now NSF GRFP recipient and graduate student, Cornell Univ
Brendan Shimizu Eleanor Roosevelt HS Acquisition and modeling of cellulose isotopic data from Queensland, Australia ERHS (2017); UMD 2021 (exp)
Mathias Trachsel Geology Bayesian hierarchical modeling of paleoclimate using multivariate and nonlinear paleoclimatic observations: a case study in the Loeschental Valley Swiss NRF Mobility Fellow in residence 2016-2018; research scientist, PalEON project, UW-Madison; now at Helvetia Versicherungen Schweiz, Basel
Xiaomin Zeng Geology and University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou data acquisition and modeling of isotopic composition of wood, southeastern Tibetan Plateau CRC Fellow, 2016-2017; PhD 2017; now at Shaanxi Normal University
Ivie Ebhojiaye Eleanor Roosevelt HS Development of DIC carbon isotopic working standards ERHS (2015); UMD Banneker/Key Scholarship awardee
Ann-Marie Stringer Eleanor Roosevelt HS (2014) Development of cellulose isotopic working standards ERHS (2014); PG County Science Fair prize winner
Kaitlyn J. Steele Geology ENSO paleoclimatology in Indonesia research technician, USDA, Beltsville; now Associate Scientist, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
Grace Duke Geology/AOSC Proxy system modeling; ENSO variability over the past millennium in observations and simulations B.S. 2015 (Hons); B.S. 2016 (Hons); now graduate student at University of Otago
Emily Boluda Eleanor Roosevelt HS (2013) Development of cellulose isotopic working standards Case Western Reserve class of 2017
Christina Justice Environmental Science and Policy Program Small sample analysis of carbonates by high throughput CF-IRMS B.S. 2014; graduate student in Geography
Laura-Ray Diederich Biology ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia B.S. (2014)
Alex S. Lopatka Geology Impact of climate change on civilization in the Southern Cook Islands over the past millennium Ph.D (2018); now with American Institute of Physics
Leah Mudd Eleanor Roosevelt HS (2012) Development of cellulose isotopic working standards ERHS (2012); Towson Univ, B.S. (2016); undergraduate research assistant, summer 2012, 2013, 2014
Bjorn Boysen Monash Univ (Melbourne, Australia) ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia B.S. (Hons) 2012, now with Australian Dept of Environment and Primary Industries
Kristina Taylor Biochemistry ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia B.S. (2013)
Leandra Bitterfeld Biology ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia B.S. (2014)
Heagan Ahmed Eleanor Roosevelt HS (2011) Small sample analysis of carbonates by high throughput CF-IRMS ERHS (2011); Cornell University (2014)
Adam Farrell Geology Carbon sequestration in basalts B.S. (2011)
Austin Green Geology-Honors ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia; JHU Applied Research Laboratory intern B.S. (2013)
Grant Jiang Geology-Honors Development of cellulose standards; ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia; Woods Hole intern (2011, 2012); study abroad in Norway, AY 2011-2012; B.S. (2013)
Andrew Gonyo Geology Small sample analysis of carbonates by high throughput CF-IRMS analyst, DynCorp International
Diane Thompson University of Arizona (UA)/Geosciences Process modeling of coral climate proxy records (w/ J.E. Cole) co-supervised for 2010-2011 project; Ph.D. 2013; postdoctoral research fellow, NCAR/ASP, 2013-2016; Asst. Prof, Univ, Arizona/ Geosciences
Nick Gava Geology ENSO paleoclimatology in Queensland, Australia 2009-2011; Rockville, MD
Matt Glazewski Geology Forecasting bias in a greenhouse world 2009-2010; now with National Weather Service
Suz Tolwinski-Ward UA/Applied Math Bayesian hierarchical modeling of paleoclimates Ph.D. (2012); NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, NCAR/IMAGe, 2013-2014; now at: AIR Worldwide, Risk Modeling Group
Adam Csank UA/GEOS/LTRR Arctic paleoclimatology (w/ S.W. Leavitt); Papua New Guinea stable isotope dendroclimatology; Ph.D. (2011); now assistant professor at: Nipissing Univ. (North Bay, ON) and research scientist, Univ Nevada-Reno
Ruth Penniston UA/ENVS Australian isotope dendroclimatology B.S. (2010); Teach for America; Fulbright Fellow, Norway; masters student at Columbia University
Megan Rheaume UA/GEOS Australian isotope dendroclimatology B.S. (2009); environmental consulting
Ana Kursinski UA/ATMO GPSRO water vapor retrievals and ENSO prediction Postdoc 2008-09
Micheal Hailey UA/GEOS/LTRR stable isotope laboratory technician B.S. 2007
Sarah White UA/EEB stable isotope laboratory manager M.S. 2011; website editor, Southwest Climate Change
R. Scott St. George UA/GEOL/LTRR south central Canadian hydrology (w/ D.M. Meko) Ph.D. 2007; now Associate Professor, Geography, Univ. Minnesota-Twin Cities
Kevin Anchukaitis UA/GEOS/LTRR Cloud forest paleoclimatology Ph.D. 2007; LDEO postdoctoral scholar; Assistant Research Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Associate Professor, University of Arizona
April Chiriboga UA/GEOS/LTRR Carbon cycle and forests co-supervised in 2005; Ph.D. (2015); now at Colby College
Brooke Rabe UA/Math tree-ring and climate modeling B.S. 2009; Ph.D. program in Statistics at Ohio State
Mau-Chuang Foo UA/ECE Cloud forest paleoclimatology B.S. 2008
Jonathan Buchanan UA/Physics stable isotope laboratory manager B.S. 2007; Raytheon Missile Systems
Erin Gleeson UA/GEOS Peruvian dendroclimatology B.S. 2006; now program director, Mountain Institute
Cristina Luis UA/GEOS State space analysis of ENSO activity M.S. 2004;  USAF
Brianna Muhlenkamp UA/Engineering tree-ring and climate modeling B.S. 2005; Shell Exploration and Production
Praveen Kundurthy UA/Astrophys-Biol Peruvian dendroclimatology B.S. 2005