Faculty and Staff

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences includes 20 full-time faculty. In addition to the regular faculty, there are six research professors and several other research associates in the Department and the affiliated Institute of Meteoritics. A number of post-doctoral fellows and visiting scientists are also present at any given time, and a large roster of adjunct professors also contribute to the expertise available to students.

The faculty and research staff maintain an active program of research, collectively producing an average of more than 200 publications per year, and contracts and grants that range from $3 to $5 million annually. Faculty research is coupled with a strong commitment to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The interests of the faculty are varied, and students participate closely with faculty in classes, seminars, in the field, and in their research. A synopsis of the research interests is given below, along with links to more detailed pages for each faculty member which include lists of recent publications.

Chairman: Dr. John Geissman

Faculty and Research Staff

Carl B. Agee, Professor and Director of Institute of Meteortics, Ph.D., Columbia University, 1988.: Origin and evolution of planetary interiors. High-pressure multi-anvil techniques applied to problems in experimental petrology. Magma physics with emphasis on mobility of silicate and metallic liquids at high pressure. Experimental trace element partitioning studies to elucidate the differentiation of the Earth, Moon, and Mars.
Abdul-Mehdi S. Ali, Senior Research Scientist I, Chemistry Laboratory Manager, Ph.D.,University of Arizona, 1989.: Analytical Chemistry and Chemistry Laboratory Management with research interests in the application of analytical chemistry to problems related to environmental contamination and remediation.
Roger Y. Anderson, Emeritus Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University, 1960.: Sedimentology and Paleoclimate. Research interests in paleoclimatic investigations using varved sediments including evaporites; sedimentation processes in lakes and ocean systems using automated traps; evaporite genesis including petrology, stratigraphy and dissolution effects.
Yemane Asmerom, Professor, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1988.: Geochemistry. Research interests in applications of radiogenic isotopes (U-Series, Nd-Sr-Pb-Hf) for the study of the solid earth, oceans and climate through time.
Nicu-Viorel Atudorei, Research Scientist III, Ph.D., University of Lausanne, Switzerland, 1998.: Stable isotope geochemistry. Research interests in stable isotope geochemistry of sediments and sedimentary rocks and their applications to stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleocenography and paleoclimatology.
Adrian J. Brearley, Professor, Ph.D., University of Manchester, Great Britain, 1984.: Petrology and Mineralogy. Research interests in petrology and mineralogy of meteorites, cosmochemistry, mechanisms and kinetics of high pressure phase transformations, experimental mineralogy, metamorphic petrology and electron microscopy.
James R. Connolly, Research Scientist II, X-Ray Diffraction Lab Manager and Local Area Network Manager, M.S., University of New Mexico, 1981.: Petrology, Mineralogy, Computer Networking. Research interests in mineralogy, petrogenesis of ignimbrites, computer networking and Internet applications.
Laura J. Crossey, Professor, Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1985.: Sedimentary Geochemistry. Research interests in clastic diagenesis, aqueous and organic geochemistry, with emphasis on interaction of organic and inorganic constituents of sedimentary rocks during progressive burial. Research approach includes field examination of modern early diagenetic environments (biogeochemistry of water and sediments) as well as core and outcrop evaluations of sandstone and shale diagenesis.; (Return to Index)
Amy L. Ellwein, Natural Sciences Program Lecturer, M.S. University of New Mexico, 1997.: Science education for pre- and in-service K-12 educators and non-majors. Soil geomorphology of eolian systems.
Maya Elrick, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Virginia Tech., 1990.: Carbonate Stratigraphy-Sedimentology. Research interests in marine to marginal marine sedimentary deposits and how they record short- to long-term paleoceanographic, paleoclimatic, eustatic, and tectonic events in Earth history.
Wolfgang E. Elston, Emeritus Professor, Ph.D., Columbia University, 1953.: Volcanology and Economic Geology. Research interests in mid-Tertiary extensional tectonics and related development of ignimbrite volcanics; ash-flow tuff cauldrons; relationship of volcanic centers to economic mineralization; volcanism as a planetary phenomenon; regional geology of southwestern New Mexico.
Peter J. Fawcett, Associate Professor, Ph.D., home State University, 1994.: Paleoclimatology and sedimentology. Research interests in long-term evolution of the climate system and understanding patterns of past global change; Quaternary paleoclimatology; and climatic influences on sedimentation.
Tobias P. Fischer, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1999.: Volcanology with emphasis on active volcanism, volatiles in magmas and compositions of volcanic emissions.
Joseph Galewsky, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of California Santa Cruz, 1996.: Interactions between meteorological and land surface processes; climate dynamics; orographic precipitation.
John W. Geissman,Professor and Chair, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1980.: Paleomagnetics and Geophysics. Research interests in tectonics and paleomagnetism of North America (Western Cordillera and Precambrian provinces); rock magnetism and relations to igneous and sedimentary processes.
David S. Gutzler, Professor, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986.: Climatology; Meteorology. Research interests include data analysis and modeling of interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, and land surfaces; climatic variability of Southwestern North America; predictability of climate on seasonal-to-interannual time scales.
Stephen P. Huestis, Emeritus Professor, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 1976.: Geophysics. Research interests in geophysical inverse theory; potential field inverse problems; geomagnetic time scale.
John Husler, Research Scientist III, Retired, M.S., University of New Mexico, 1968.: Analytical Chemistry. Research interests in analysis of rocks, ores, alloys, and environmental samples by XRF, flame atomic absorption, and wet chemistry.; (Return to Top of Page)
Rhian H. Jones, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Manchester, Great Britain, 1986.: Petrology and Mineralogy. Research interests in mineralogy and petrology of meteorites, particularly chondrites. Experimental investigation of mineralogical and petrological problems related to meteorites and terrestrial rocks.
Karl E. Karlstrom, Professor, Ph.D., Wyoming, 1981.: Structural Geology and Tectonics. Research interests in field-based studies of rock deformation and lithospheric evolution: Growth, assembly, and disassembly of continental lithosphere, middle crustal processes, and neotectonics.
Penelope L King, Research Professor and Senior Research Scientist III, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1999. Office: Northrop Hall Rm. 302; 277-1643. penking@unm.edu: Geochemistry/Petrology. Origin and evolution of planetary interiors, igneous rocks and surfaces. Role of volatiles, pH, and oxygen fugacity on minerals and melts at high and low temperature on Earth and Mars. Parameters that affect infrared spectroscopic features of glasses, sulfates and meteorites. Field characterization and micro-analysis of astromaterial analogs. Volcanology.
Cornelis ("Kase") Klein, Professor, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1965.: Mineralogy. Research interests include: Mineralogy, petrology and genesis of Precambrian iron-formations; amphibole mineralogy and assemblages of amphibolite grade.
Barry S. Kues, Professor, Ph.D., Indiana University, 1974.: Paleontology. Research interests in the evolution of Pennsylvanian and Permian marine communities in the Southwest, and regional biogeography and variation in Cretaceous marine faunas.
Bob Macy Research Engineer, B.S. Physics, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1975; B.S. EECE, University of New Mexico, 2000.: Department Electrical Engineer fulfilling the design, analysis, fabrication and testing of complex analytical systems.
Grant A. Meyer Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1993.: Research interests in hillslopes and fluvial systems; climatic, tectonic and environmental geomorphology; Quaternary geology and ecosystem processes.
Leslie D. McFadden Professor, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1982.: Quaternary Geology. Research interests include: studies of soil development in arid and semiarid regions; applications of soil studies to geomorphology, paleoclimate, environmental research, and Geohazard evaluation.
V. Rama Murthy, Research Professor (Inst. of Meteoritics), Ph.D., Yale University, 1957.: My research interests for many years have focused on the application of radiogenic isotope systematics (U-Pb, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr), the isotopic abundances of certain rare-earth elements and the trace-element systematics to understand a variety of geological and planetary science problems.; (Return to Top of Page)
Horton Newsom, Research Professor and Senior Research Scientist III (Inst. of Meteoritics), Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1981.: Geochemistry. Co-investigator and science team member for the ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory; research interests include understanding the origin and evolution of planetary bodies, including planets, moons and asteroids, geological effects of impact cratering on the Earth and Mars including hydrothermal and atmospheric effects, weathering and soil formation on Mars, and educational outreach initiatives in K-12 science teaching.
Matthew Nyman, Lecturer III, Earth and Planetary Science, Coordinator, Natural Science Program, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1992. Office: Northrop Hall 126; 277-4355. Email: mwnyman@unm.edu.: Science education for pre-service and in-service K-12 educators. Structure and tectonics of Proterozoic rocks in the Southwest; deformation and chemical processes in shear zones.
James J. Papike, Research Professor, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1964. Office: Northrop Hall Rm. B-19; 277-1646. Fax: 277-3577. jpapike@unm.edu: Mineralogy and Crystal Chemistry. Research interests in planetary materials and processes; trace element geochemistry of the rock-forming minerals.
Victor J. Polyak, Senior Research Scientist, Ph.D. Texas Tech University, 1998.: Speleology - the study of caves. Speleogenesis, the origin of caves, and how it relates to the geologic history of regions such as the Delaware Basin and Grand Canyon. The origin of clay minerals in caves and its relation to the geologic history of those caves. Carbonate petrography of speleothems.
Aurora Pun, Lecturer III, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1996.: Planetary and meteorite geochemistry, planetary igneous systems, and science education.
Robert C. Reedy, Research Professor, Ph.D., Columbia University.: Planetary and space scientist working on elemental remote sensing of planetary surfaces and on cosmogenic nuclides.
Frans J.M. Rietmeijer, Research Faculty Professor, Ph.D., Rijksuniversiteit-Utrecht, Netherlands, 1979.: Petrology and Mineralogy - Research interests in dust of extraterrestrial origin that are interplanetary dust particles and comet Wild 2 dust, and of analog dust produced in non-equilibrium vapor phase condensation experiments.
Mousumi Roy, Associate Professor, Ph.D.,Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997.: Geophysical modeling of lithospheric deformation at plate boundaries. Relation of surface deformation, strain rates, and seismicity patterns to crustal rheology and lithospheric structure and evolution.; (Return to Top of Page)
Louis Anthony Scuderi, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1984.: Research Areas: Paleoclimatic reconstructions utilizing dendrochronology, climatology, geographic Information Systems (GIS), image processing, global positioning systems (GPS), creation and analysis of historical and paleoclimatic databases.
Jane Selverstone, Professor, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985.: Metamorphic Petrology. Research interests in interactions between tectonic and metamorphic processes; reconstruction of pressure-temperature time-deformation histories of orogenic belts; fluid inclusions as indicators of faulting; fluid-rock interactions in high-pressure metamorphic belts.
Zachary D. Sharp, Regents Professor, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1987.: Geochemist. Stable isotope geochemistry, with application to paleoclimate reconstruction, metamorphic & igneous petrology and structural geology.
Charles K. Shearer, Jr., Research Professor and Senior Research Scientist III (Institute of Meteoritics), Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1983.: Geochemistry and Crystal Chemistry. Research interests in trace element behavior in magmatic systems with an emphasis on the crystal chemistry of silicates, planetary basaltic magmatism, granite generation and evolution.
Gary A. Smith, Professor, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 1986.: Sedimentology and Physical Volcanology. Research interests in sedimentology related to rift tectonics, aquifer heterogeneity, and volcanism; physical volcanology of pyroclastic deposits and composite volcanoes.
Michael N. Spilde, Research Scientist III (Institute of Meteoritics), M.S., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 1987.: Mineralogy, Petrology, Electron Microscopy. Research interests in planetary igneous systems.
Tim F. Wawrzyniec, Lecturer III, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1999.: Structural geology; paleomagnetism; petrology; geophysics. Research interests in studies of rock deformation; field evidence of plate-scale interactions; intrabasinal deformation; and the application of petrology, paleomagnetism, seismic analysis, and modeling to address problems related first-order tectonic and metamorphic processes.
Gary S. Weissmann, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1999.: Hydrogeology, sedimentology, and basin analysis. Research focuses on a basin analysis approach to characterizing and modeling groundwater flow and contaminant transport.
Shawn P. Wright, Senior Research Scientist 1, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2009: Impact cratering in the inner solar system; fieldwork at several terrestrial impact sites; geologic history and composition of the surface of Mars and the Moon; comparison of Martian meteorite data to remote sensing data for Mars.
Lee A. Woodward, Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1962.: Structural Geology and Tectonics. Research interests in development of the Cordilleran overthrust belt and Rocky Mountain foreland; tectonics as applied to mineral exploration.

(Return to Top of Page)

Adjunct Professors

(Listing current as of January, 2003)

Bruce Allen, PhD., University of New Mexico
Sidney Ash, PhD., The University of Reading, England, 1996
W. Scott Baldridge, Ph.D., Caltech University, 1978.
John D. Bloch Ph.D. The University of Calgary, 1989.: Research interests in shale petrology, clay mineralogy, chemical and mineralogical analysis of sediments and soils.
Robert J. Glass, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1988.
Fraser E. Goff, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz, 1977. Phone: (505) 662-0805 candf@swcp.com
Stephen Harlan, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1992.
Carol Hill, Adjunct Lecturer III, M.S., Geology, University of New Mexico, 1978.
Clifford K. Ho, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1993.
Adrian Hunt, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1994.
Sean Mc Kenna, Ph.D., Colorado School of Mines, 1994.
Duane M. "Dewey" Moore, Illinois State Geological Survey (Retired), Ph.D., Univ. of Illinois - Urbana, 1962.: Clay Mineralogy and X-Ray Diffraction
Donald Peterson, Ph.D., Stanford University, 1961.
Deborah Ulinski Potter, Ph.D., Biology, University of New Mexico, 1996.: Interests include ecosystem ecology, landscape ecology, global change, climatology, natural resource management.
Charlotte Rowe, Ph.D., New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, 2000.: Volcano seismology, seismic waveform classification, precise earthquake location and geophysical modeling; geothermal microseismicity; Alaska seismology; glacier seismicity.
Walter C. Riese, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1980.
John Shomaker, Ph. D., University of Birmingham, England, 1994.
Daniel B. Stephens, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1979.
Aviva Sussman, Adjunct Associate Professor, Ph.D., Geosciences, University of Arizona, 2002.
Gregory Valentine, PhD, University of California-Santa Barbara, 1988.
Erik Webb, PhD., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1992
Roger Wiens, Adjunct Research Professor, Ph.D., Physics, University of Minnesota, 1998
Thomas Williamson, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1993
Kenneth H. Wohletz, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1980.

(Return to Top of Page)

Support and Administrative Staff

Mary Bennett, Accountant Northrop Hall Rm 141; 277-3546, Email: mbennett@unm.edu
Mabel T. Chavez, Editorial Tech Northrop Hall Rm 141; 277-8680, Email: mabelc@unm.edu
Shannon Clark, Program Coordinator, Institute of Meteoritics Northrop Hall Rm 313A; 277-1644, Email: skclark@unm.edu
Gilbert E. Griego, Harding Mine Maintenance Tech Dixon, New Mexico; Email: gilgriego@windstream.net
Cindy Jaramillo, Administrative Assistant II Northrop Hall Rm 141; 277-1635, Email: epsdept@unm.edu
Lee Ann Lloyd, Administrative Assistant II, Institute of Meteoritics Northrop Hall Rm 313; 277-2747, Email: lalloyd@unm.edu
Robert Macy, Research Engineer I Northrop Hall Rm B-18; 277-2734, Email: rmacy@unm.edu
Paula Pascetti, EPS Department Adminstrator Northrop Hall Rm 141; 277-1633, Email: pascetti@unm.edu
Anthony Velardez, Facilities Services Tech Northrop Hall Rm B-12; 277-3719, Email: anthonyv@unm.edu

Faculty and Research Staff

Support and Admin Staff

Faculty and Staff

Chairman: Dr. John Geissman

Faculty and Research Staff

Adjunct Professors

Support and Administrative Staff