My principal research and teaching interests lie in the areas of Structural Geology and Tectonics. The amazing geologic diversity of the northwestern United States makes Idaho a fantastic place to live, work, and study. The rich geologic environment offers a wide variety of potential research problems, and it provides spectacular examples of structural features for students at Boise State University to examine first-hand on field trips. Consequently, my research and teaching are both strongly field-oriented.
Student Opportunities: The Geology Group has a number of opportunities for new students at all levels – undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. Please let us know if you might be interested!
Research Overview
The goal of my research is to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of orogenic systems through integrated, multidisciplinary studies.Geologic mapping and structural analysis form the foundation of my work, and depending on the tectonic problem to be addressed, I incorporate metamorphic petrology, U-Pb geochronology, and/or 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology as necessary to better constrain tectonic interpretations and test ideas.A diverse spectrum of tectonic processes and problems are of interest. Three general areas of recent or on-going research are listed below.
The Kinematic, Mechanical, and Tectonothermal Evolution of Collisional and Contractional Mountain Belts
Field areas for this work include the Scandinavian Caledonides and the Paleozoic and Mesozoic contractional belts in the Cordillera of the western U.S.
Accretionary Tectonics
This work addresses the timing, structural evolution, and petrologic characteristics of accreted terranes, with a primary focus on the terrane assembly of western Idaho, eastern Oregon, and eastern Washington during Mesozoic time. An additional component of this research explores the relationship between the inherited Mesozoic crustal architecture and the Quaternary to recent (and still active!) strain field of the region.