Current Students and Alums
senior theses - capstones projects
Magaly Perez, Alex Lawrence, and Ben Faulkner at Baker Monument, Montana
Alexander Johanson '22 (Macalester College) studied the subsurface signature of a non marine sequence boundary in the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana for his thesis. He presented his research at the 2021 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Portland. He is presently employed by an environmental consulting firm in Seattle.
Logan McCutcheon '22 (Macalester College) studied the taphonomy of phosphatized bryozoans in the Decprah Shale of Minnesota for his thesis. He is presently a masters student at the South Dakota School of Mines.
Chloe Kahn '21 (Macalester College) completed a study of modification features on fossils preserved in microfossil bonebeds in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. She presented some of her work at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Phoenix. Chloe is presently a masters student studying landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Etienne Chenevert '21 (Macalester College) studied modification features on fossils from microfossil bonebeds in the Judith River Formation of Montana. He is presently a masters student at Indiana University.
Sintra Reves-Sohn '20 (Macalester College) completed a study of the expression of parasequences in the Cretaceous Judith River Formation of Montana (senior honors thesis). She presented her work at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Phoenix (September 2019, click here to see abstract). Sintra is presently a masters student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Joseph (JoJo) Baldus '20 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that investigates the development of coals in relation to base level change in the Cretaceous Judith River Formation.
Matthew Heppleston '20 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that explores the sedimentary petrology of the sandstones in the Sauk Sequence in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Max Deckman '19 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the sedimentology of the Chugwater Group, near Dubois, Wyoming. He presented his work at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Phoenix (September 2019, click here to see abstract). Max is presently a master's student at the University of Georgia.
Rachel Surprenant '18 (Macalester College) completed her senior honors thesis on the taphonomy of a vertebrate microfossil bonebed in the Two Medicine Formation. Rachel completed her ms at the University of California, Riverside, and she is now a PhD candidate at the same institution. She is studying cool Ediacaran creatures in Australia!
Ted Toegel '17 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on phosphorite nodules in the Phosphoria Formation, and did field work in SE Idaho with alum Madeline Marshall '12.
Sierra Swenson '17 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the taphonomy of dinosaur coprolites from Egg Mountin, Montana. Sierra completed her master's thesis at the University of Georgia (2019), and she is about to start a new job as a Research Geologist at Exxon in Houston.
Anik Regan '17 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the taphonomy of mollusk death assemblages in the Gulf of Mexico (conservation paleobio). After graduation Anik worked at the Minnesota Geological Survey and then completed a one year stint as a post-bac researcher in my lab. We are presently finishing up our second co-authored paper. Anik is currently a master's student at the University of Georgia.
Jamie Goodin '17 (Macalester College) worked with me on his capstone project focusing on igloos made by trematode parasites on freshwater clams in the Judith River Formation. Jamie is a co-author on the resultant manuscript. He recently returned from a couple years of teaching English in Japan, and is about to start a masters in landscape architecture at Harvard University.
Patrick Sullivan '16 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on feeding traces in vertebrate microfossil bonebeds from the Judith River Formation, Montana. Patrick spent the past few years working as a science communicator and intern at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and he just recently completed his ms at the Colorado School of Mines.
Evan Kartheiser '16 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis comparing the sedimentology of marine and terrestrial rocks in the Judith River Formation. Evan is currently a Logistics Coordinator with Outward Bound California.
Cedric Hagen '16 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on a bonebed of Lotosaurus adentus in the Triassic of China (collaboration with Eric Roberts [my first student] - see below). Cedric is presently a PhD candidate at Oregon State University. He is the most recent lab-linked recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Bolton Howes '15 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the characterization of a sequence boundary in the Two Medicine Formation. Bolton completed his master's degree at the University of Georgia, and is presently a PhD candidate at Princeton University.
Benjamin Faulkner '15 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the turtles from the Judith River Formation. Ben worked as a Public Programs Presenter at the California Academy of Sciences, and he just recently started work on his PhD at the University of California Davis. Check out his band!
Victoria (Tori) Lewis '15 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project with me focusing on XRCT analysis of microfossils in Judith River bonebeds.
Magaly Perez '14 (Macalester College) completed a capstone and co-authored a paper with me on the comparative taphonomy of vertebrate microfossil bonebeds in the Judith River Formation. Magaly completed her master's thesis at Fresno State University, and she is presently a Teaching Intern at Sanger Unified School District in California.
Alexandra Lawrence '14 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that focused on fossil egg shell from the Judith River Formation. Alex presented her work at a GSA meeting in Bozeman, MT, and she is presently a contract paleontologist digitizing mollusk collections (EPICC Project) in the Paleobiology Department at the Smithsonian.
Cove Fylpaa '14 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that tackled the taphonomy of strandline sands collected on the beaches of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Cove is currently a Tour Mechanic/Aide, with TDA Global Cycling.
Margo Yaravitz '14 (Macalester College) worked with me on a capstone project that focused on geochemistry of paleosols from the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming. She is presently enjoying life in Montana and is skiing as much as possible!
Adam McCullough '13 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project on the Geochemistry of host sediments preserving vertebrate microfossils in the Judith River Formation.
Danny Morel '13 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project on the sedimentology and geochemistry of the volcanic ash deposit at Ashfall State Park, Nebraska. Danny completed his master's degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Madeline Marshall '12 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on lungfish burrows from the Maevarano Formation in Madagascar, and co-authored a paper in Palaios with me relating to this work. Madeline completed her PhD at the University of Chicago, and she is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Albion College. Madeline is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Andrew Lund '12 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project on the taphonomy of vertebrate bioclasts in a strange bonebed in the Judith River Formation. He is presently Logistics Manager at Laughing Monk Brewing (with Amelia Franklin).
Jansen Smith '12 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis investigating predation on naticid gastropods in the Plio-Pleistocene. Jansen completed his PhD at Cornell University, and is presently a post-doctoral researcher on the Paleoosynthesis Project at Friedrich-Alexander University in Etlangen-Nurnburg, Germany.
Deirdre Ratigan '11 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on experimental taphonomy in an effort to replicate bone alteration. Deirdre completed her master's thesis at the University of Wyoming.
Karanina Scheel '10 (Macalester College) completed a cool capstone on the volcanic ash deposit at Ashfall State Park in Nebraska. A poster of her project is still on display at the Ashfall site. Karanina is presently a Dog Groomer (and not just any dog - my dog Hatcher loves her!) at Ollu Dog Wash in Minneapolis.
Madeline Mette '10 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis (Keck) on the stable carbon isotope stratigraphy and magnetic susceptibility of the Upper Ordovician Daravgai and Gashuunovoo Formations in Gobi-Altai Terrane, Shine Jinst area, Southern Mongolia. Madeline completed her PhD at Iowa State University, and is currently a Research Geologist at the United States Geological Survey in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Jeffrey Dobbins '10 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis focusing on the geochemistry of the volcanic ash bed deposit at Ashfall Fossil Beds, Nebraska. Jeff completed his master's degree at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and he is presently a Field Geologist with Terracon in Seattle.
Anne Brown '10 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis using GIS to explore (map) the spatial relationships of fossil occurrences in Madagascar (shared advising with Holly Barcus, Geography). Anne completed her PhD at the University of California Los Angeles, and is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at the University of Oregon.
Rachel Murray '09 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemistry of fossilization in the Two Medicine and Judith River Formations. Rachel completed a master's at the University of Arizona and a PhD at Southern Cross University (Australia).
Ken Nelson '09 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis focusing on the clay and framework mineralogy of the Judith River Formation. Ken co-authored a paper with me relating to this work.
Walter Scott Persons '08 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis (Keck) focusing on the preservation of Ediacaran fossils. He completed a master's degree and PhD at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), and is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) and Curator at the College of Charleston.
Sophia Kast '08 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on paleosols and climate in the Mahajanga Basin of Madagascar. Sophia is a Biological Scientist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Robin Dawson (Canavan) '08 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on authigenic cements and rare earth elements in Montana bones. Robin completed her master's degree at the University of Wyoming, and her PhD at Yale University. Robin is presently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Robin uses stable isotopes to reconstruct past climate in Madagascar.
Cara Theisen (Harwood) '06 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemical taphonomy of fossils in Montana. Cara completed her PhD at the University of California, Davis, and is the Director of Professional Development and Teaching, University of Wisconsin.
Mara Brady '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on experimental taphonomy at St. Anthony Falls Lab, and co-authored a manuscript with me on some of this taphonomic work. Mara completed her PhD at the University of Chicago, and she is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure), at California State University - Fresno (she was Magaly's thesis advisor).
Josephine Williams '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis that explored authigenic cements and rare earth element concentrations in fossil bones from the Two Medicine Formation.
Christopher Dwyer '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on diagenesis in fossil teeth from the Two Medicine and Judith River Formations. Chris is currently a master’s student at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Brett Dennis-Duke '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the magnetostratigraphy of the Berivotra and Maevarano Formations, Madagascar.
Brady Foreman '04 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemical fingerprinting of bentonites in Montana. Brady received his PhD from the University of Wyoming, and he is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure) at Western Washington University. Brady is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Anna Jerve '04 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemistry of paleosols from the Masorobe Member, Maevarano Formation, Madagascar. Anna completed her master's degree at Michigan State University and a PhD at Uppsala University (Sweden).
Michelle Casey '03 (Macalester College) completed her senior honors thesis on the magnetostratigraphy of the Maevarano and Berivotra formations in Madagascar. Michelle received her master's degree from Virginia Tech and PhD from Yale University. She is currently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Towson University.
Elizabeth Hajek '02 (Macalester College) completed her senior honors thesis on the sedimentology of Late Cretaceous rocks near New Ulm, Minnesota. Liz completed her master's degree and PhD at the University of Wyoming, and she is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure), at Pennsylvania State University.
Abigail Merlis '02 (Macalester College) worked with me on a project that explored concretion formation in the Cretaceous sediments of western Minnesota. She completed a master's degree in education and a master's in architecture at the University of Minnesota. Abby is presently an Art Specialist at Belle Plaine School District, MN.
Rebecca Terry '01 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis that focused on a silicified unconformity in the Limpopo Valley, Southern Zimbabwe. Rebecca completed her PhD at the University of Chicago, and she is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure) at Oregon State University. Rebecca is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Joshua Miller '00 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on paleosols as indicators of paleoclimate in the Upper Cretaceous Maevarano Formation in Madagascar. Josh completed his PhD at the University of Chicago, and is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at the University of Cincinnati. Josh is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Adrian Sutter '00 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis that focused on the taphonomy of fossils in the Judith River and Two Medicine formations in Montana.
Lillian Sandler '99 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis focusing on the taphonomy of unusually well-preserved coprolites from the Chadron Formation (Eocene), South Dakota.
Jacob Benner '98 (Cornell College) completed a thesis that explored Pennsylvanian paleokarst in Iowa. Jake received his master's degree from the University of Utah, and he is presently a Lecturer at the University of Tennessee.
Eric Roberts '98 (Cornell College) is my first student. He accompanied me to Madagascar in 1996, worked with me on insect traces on the Maevarano bones, and we still collaborate to this day (see Montana Campanian Campaign). Eric completed his master's thesis at the University of Montana and his PhD at the University of Utah. After many years as the Head of the Earth and Environmental Science Department at James Cook University (Australia), Eric moved back home to the US to join the faculty at the Colorado School of Mines. (Ray and Eric at a wine farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2016)
Alexander Johanson '22 (Macalester College) studied the subsurface signature of a non marine sequence boundary in the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana for his thesis. He presented his research at the 2021 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Portland. He is presently employed by an environmental consulting firm in Seattle.
Logan McCutcheon '22 (Macalester College) studied the taphonomy of phosphatized bryozoans in the Decprah Shale of Minnesota for his thesis. He is presently a masters student at the South Dakota School of Mines.
Chloe Kahn '21 (Macalester College) completed a study of modification features on fossils preserved in microfossil bonebeds in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. She presented some of her work at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Phoenix. Chloe is presently a masters student studying landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Etienne Chenevert '21 (Macalester College) studied modification features on fossils from microfossil bonebeds in the Judith River Formation of Montana. He is presently a masters student at Indiana University.
Sintra Reves-Sohn '20 (Macalester College) completed a study of the expression of parasequences in the Cretaceous Judith River Formation of Montana (senior honors thesis). She presented her work at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Phoenix (September 2019, click here to see abstract). Sintra is presently a masters student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Joseph (JoJo) Baldus '20 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that investigates the development of coals in relation to base level change in the Cretaceous Judith River Formation.
Matthew Heppleston '20 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that explores the sedimentary petrology of the sandstones in the Sauk Sequence in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Max Deckman '19 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the sedimentology of the Chugwater Group, near Dubois, Wyoming. He presented his work at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Phoenix (September 2019, click here to see abstract). Max is presently a master's student at the University of Georgia.
Rachel Surprenant '18 (Macalester College) completed her senior honors thesis on the taphonomy of a vertebrate microfossil bonebed in the Two Medicine Formation. Rachel completed her ms at the University of California, Riverside, and she is now a PhD candidate at the same institution. She is studying cool Ediacaran creatures in Australia!
Ted Toegel '17 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on phosphorite nodules in the Phosphoria Formation, and did field work in SE Idaho with alum Madeline Marshall '12.
Sierra Swenson '17 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the taphonomy of dinosaur coprolites from Egg Mountin, Montana. Sierra completed her master's thesis at the University of Georgia (2019), and she is about to start a new job as a Research Geologist at Exxon in Houston.
Anik Regan '17 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the taphonomy of mollusk death assemblages in the Gulf of Mexico (conservation paleobio). After graduation Anik worked at the Minnesota Geological Survey and then completed a one year stint as a post-bac researcher in my lab. We are presently finishing up our second co-authored paper. Anik is currently a master's student at the University of Georgia.
Jamie Goodin '17 (Macalester College) worked with me on his capstone project focusing on igloos made by trematode parasites on freshwater clams in the Judith River Formation. Jamie is a co-author on the resultant manuscript. He recently returned from a couple years of teaching English in Japan, and is about to start a masters in landscape architecture at Harvard University.
Patrick Sullivan '16 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on feeding traces in vertebrate microfossil bonebeds from the Judith River Formation, Montana. Patrick spent the past few years working as a science communicator and intern at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and he just recently completed his ms at the Colorado School of Mines.
Evan Kartheiser '16 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis comparing the sedimentology of marine and terrestrial rocks in the Judith River Formation. Evan is currently a Logistics Coordinator with Outward Bound California.
Cedric Hagen '16 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on a bonebed of Lotosaurus adentus in the Triassic of China (collaboration with Eric Roberts [my first student] - see below). Cedric is presently a PhD candidate at Oregon State University. He is the most recent lab-linked recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Bolton Howes '15 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the characterization of a sequence boundary in the Two Medicine Formation. Bolton completed his master's degree at the University of Georgia, and is presently a PhD candidate at Princeton University.
Benjamin Faulkner '15 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the turtles from the Judith River Formation. Ben worked as a Public Programs Presenter at the California Academy of Sciences, and he just recently started work on his PhD at the University of California Davis. Check out his band!
Victoria (Tori) Lewis '15 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project with me focusing on XRCT analysis of microfossils in Judith River bonebeds.
Magaly Perez '14 (Macalester College) completed a capstone and co-authored a paper with me on the comparative taphonomy of vertebrate microfossil bonebeds in the Judith River Formation. Magaly completed her master's thesis at Fresno State University, and she is presently a Teaching Intern at Sanger Unified School District in California.
Alexandra Lawrence '14 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that focused on fossil egg shell from the Judith River Formation. Alex presented her work at a GSA meeting in Bozeman, MT, and she is presently a contract paleontologist digitizing mollusk collections (EPICC Project) in the Paleobiology Department at the Smithsonian.
Cove Fylpaa '14 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project that tackled the taphonomy of strandline sands collected on the beaches of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Cove is currently a Tour Mechanic/Aide, with TDA Global Cycling.
Margo Yaravitz '14 (Macalester College) worked with me on a capstone project that focused on geochemistry of paleosols from the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming. She is presently enjoying life in Montana and is skiing as much as possible!
Adam McCullough '13 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project on the Geochemistry of host sediments preserving vertebrate microfossils in the Judith River Formation.
Danny Morel '13 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project on the sedimentology and geochemistry of the volcanic ash deposit at Ashfall State Park, Nebraska. Danny completed his master's degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Madeline Marshall '12 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on lungfish burrows from the Maevarano Formation in Madagascar, and co-authored a paper in Palaios with me relating to this work. Madeline completed her PhD at the University of Chicago, and she is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Albion College. Madeline is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Andrew Lund '12 (Macalester College) completed a capstone project on the taphonomy of vertebrate bioclasts in a strange bonebed in the Judith River Formation. He is presently Logistics Manager at Laughing Monk Brewing (with Amelia Franklin).
Jansen Smith '12 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis investigating predation on naticid gastropods in the Plio-Pleistocene. Jansen completed his PhD at Cornell University, and is presently a post-doctoral researcher on the Paleoosynthesis Project at Friedrich-Alexander University in Etlangen-Nurnburg, Germany.
Deirdre Ratigan '11 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on experimental taphonomy in an effort to replicate bone alteration. Deirdre completed her master's thesis at the University of Wyoming.
Karanina Scheel '10 (Macalester College) completed a cool capstone on the volcanic ash deposit at Ashfall State Park in Nebraska. A poster of her project is still on display at the Ashfall site. Karanina is presently a Dog Groomer (and not just any dog - my dog Hatcher loves her!) at Ollu Dog Wash in Minneapolis.
Madeline Mette '10 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis (Keck) on the stable carbon isotope stratigraphy and magnetic susceptibility of the Upper Ordovician Daravgai and Gashuunovoo Formations in Gobi-Altai Terrane, Shine Jinst area, Southern Mongolia. Madeline completed her PhD at Iowa State University, and is currently a Research Geologist at the United States Geological Survey in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Jeffrey Dobbins '10 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis focusing on the geochemistry of the volcanic ash bed deposit at Ashfall Fossil Beds, Nebraska. Jeff completed his master's degree at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and he is presently a Field Geologist with Terracon in Seattle.
Anne Brown '10 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis using GIS to explore (map) the spatial relationships of fossil occurrences in Madagascar (shared advising with Holly Barcus, Geography). Anne completed her PhD at the University of California Los Angeles, and is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at the University of Oregon.
Rachel Murray '09 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemistry of fossilization in the Two Medicine and Judith River Formations. Rachel completed a master's at the University of Arizona and a PhD at Southern Cross University (Australia).
Ken Nelson '09 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis focusing on the clay and framework mineralogy of the Judith River Formation. Ken co-authored a paper with me relating to this work.
Walter Scott Persons '08 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis (Keck) focusing on the preservation of Ediacaran fossils. He completed a master's degree and PhD at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), and is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) and Curator at the College of Charleston.
Sophia Kast '08 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on paleosols and climate in the Mahajanga Basin of Madagascar. Sophia is a Biological Scientist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Robin Dawson (Canavan) '08 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on authigenic cements and rare earth elements in Montana bones. Robin completed her master's degree at the University of Wyoming, and her PhD at Yale University. Robin is presently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Robin uses stable isotopes to reconstruct past climate in Madagascar.
Cara Theisen (Harwood) '06 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemical taphonomy of fossils in Montana. Cara completed her PhD at the University of California, Davis, and is the Director of Professional Development and Teaching, University of Wisconsin.
Mara Brady '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on experimental taphonomy at St. Anthony Falls Lab, and co-authored a manuscript with me on some of this taphonomic work. Mara completed her PhD at the University of Chicago, and she is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure), at California State University - Fresno (she was Magaly's thesis advisor).
Josephine Williams '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis that explored authigenic cements and rare earth element concentrations in fossil bones from the Two Medicine Formation.
Christopher Dwyer '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on diagenesis in fossil teeth from the Two Medicine and Judith River Formations. Chris is currently a master’s student at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Brett Dennis-Duke '05 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the magnetostratigraphy of the Berivotra and Maevarano Formations, Madagascar.
Brady Foreman '04 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemical fingerprinting of bentonites in Montana. Brady received his PhD from the University of Wyoming, and he is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure) at Western Washington University. Brady is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Anna Jerve '04 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on the geochemistry of paleosols from the Masorobe Member, Maevarano Formation, Madagascar. Anna completed her master's degree at Michigan State University and a PhD at Uppsala University (Sweden).
Michelle Casey '03 (Macalester College) completed her senior honors thesis on the magnetostratigraphy of the Maevarano and Berivotra formations in Madagascar. Michelle received her master's degree from Virginia Tech and PhD from Yale University. She is currently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Towson University.
Elizabeth Hajek '02 (Macalester College) completed her senior honors thesis on the sedimentology of Late Cretaceous rocks near New Ulm, Minnesota. Liz completed her master's degree and PhD at the University of Wyoming, and she is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure), at Pennsylvania State University.
Abigail Merlis '02 (Macalester College) worked with me on a project that explored concretion formation in the Cretaceous sediments of western Minnesota. She completed a master's degree in education and a master's in architecture at the University of Minnesota. Abby is presently an Art Specialist at Belle Plaine School District, MN.
Rebecca Terry '01 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis that focused on a silicified unconformity in the Limpopo Valley, Southern Zimbabwe. Rebecca completed her PhD at the University of Chicago, and she is presently an Associate Professor (with tenure) at Oregon State University. Rebecca is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Joshua Miller '00 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis on paleosols as indicators of paleoclimate in the Upper Cretaceous Maevarano Formation in Madagascar. Josh completed his PhD at the University of Chicago, and is presently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) at the University of Cincinnati. Josh is a recipient of the NSF graduate fellowship.
Adrian Sutter '00 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis that focused on the taphonomy of fossils in the Judith River and Two Medicine formations in Montana.
Lillian Sandler '99 (Macalester College) completed a senior honors thesis focusing on the taphonomy of unusually well-preserved coprolites from the Chadron Formation (Eocene), South Dakota.
Jacob Benner '98 (Cornell College) completed a thesis that explored Pennsylvanian paleokarst in Iowa. Jake received his master's degree from the University of Utah, and he is presently a Lecturer at the University of Tennessee.
Eric Roberts '98 (Cornell College) is my first student. He accompanied me to Madagascar in 1996, worked with me on insect traces on the Maevarano bones, and we still collaborate to this day (see Montana Campanian Campaign). Eric completed his master's thesis at the University of Montana and his PhD at the University of Utah. After many years as the Head of the Earth and Environmental Science Department at James Cook University (Australia), Eric moved back home to the US to join the faculty at the Colorado School of Mines. (Ray and Eric at a wine farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2016)
