Faculty and students in the Department of Geoscience encompass a broad array of disciplines. Here you will find information on their areas of specialization, current research, teaching, and outreach.

Graduate Student Directory

  • Jennifer Ajouaoud
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 115

    Geology BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2024
    Area of Focus: Economic Geology
    Email: AJOUAJ1@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

  • Gare Ambrose-Igho
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 122
    Phone: (702) 895-5226
    Agriculture BS: University of Benin, Nigeria 2012
    Science MS: Illinois State University, 2020
    Area of Focus: Hydrogeology
    Email: gare.ambrose-igho@unlv.edu

  • Thomas Boes
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 107
    Phone: (702) 895-3244
    Geology B.S.: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2021
    Area of Focus: Economic Geology
    Email: boes@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Conner Callaway
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 114
    Geology B.S.: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2023
    Area of Focus: Economic Geology
    Email: conner.callaway@unlv.edu

  • Mary Clarich
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 103A
    Earth & Environmental Science B.S.: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2024
    Area of Focus: High Temperature Geochemical Processes
    Email: CLARICH@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

  • Baylee Colburn
    Ph.D Student
    Office: SEB 4250

    Planetary Science and Astronomy BS: Pennsylvania State University, 2020
    Area of Focus: Planetary Geology, Astrobiology, Geochemistry
    Email: colbub1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Ivet Escamilla Franco
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 108
    Earth & Environmental Science BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2022
    Area of Focus: Critical Zone Hydrology
    Email: escami1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Daniel Haber
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 110
    Phone: (702) 895-1531
    Geology B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2013
    Geology M.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2015
    Area of Focus: Remote sensing, GIS, Geophysics
    Email: haberd@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Timothy Heming
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 122A

    Anthropology BS: Arizona State University, 2024
    Area of Focus: Paleoclimatology
    Email: HEMINT1@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

  • Susan Hertfelder
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 109
    Phone: (702) 895-3874
    Geology BS: California State University, 2015
    Area of Focus: Paleontology
    Email: hertfs1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Katlyn Hurley
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 110
    Phone: (702) 895-1531
    Earth & Environmental Science BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2023
    Area of Focus: Hydrogeology
    Email: hurlek1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Cole Jacobs
    Ph.D Student
    Office: TEC 106
    Phone: (702) 895-4633
    Geology BS: UC Santa Barbara, 2023
    Area of Focus: Structural Geology/Cordilleran Tectonics
    Email: jacobc12@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Genevieve Kidman
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 107
    Phone: (702) 895-3244
    Geology B.S.: Southern Utah University, 2015
    Geology M.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2020
    Area of Focus: High Pressure Rock Deformation, Mineral Physics
    Email: kidman@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Susan Diane Lederer
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 115
    Phone: (702) 895-1132
    Geology B.S.: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2018
    Area of Focus: Contaminant Hydrogeology
    Email: leders1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Eunice Ledres
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 108
    Mathematics B.S.: SUNY New Paltz, 2023
    Area of Focus: Hydrology, Machine Learning
    Email: ledres@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Giuseppe Lucia  
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: SEB 3244
    Phone: (702) 894-1410
    Geology BS: University of Bologna (Italy), 2015
    Geology MS: University of South Florida (Tampa, FL, USA), 2019
    Area of Focus: Speleothem Science/Paleoclimate
    Email: luciag1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Samantha Maciech
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 103
    Earth & Environmental Science BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2023
    Area of Focus: Paleontology
    Email: MACIES1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Logan Magad-Weiss 
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 124
    Phone: (702) 895-4751
    Geology BS: University of Hawaii Manoa, 2016
    MS: University of California Riverside, 2019
    Area of Focus: Analyzing ammonia at high pressure to understand its behavior, and implications for planetary interiors.
    Email: magad-we@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Rebekah Magness
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 108

    Geospatial Science BS: United States Air Force Academy, 2018
    International Relations MS:  Liberty University, 2023
    Area of Focus: Critical Zone Hydrology
    Email: magness@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Claudia Martinez
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 114
    Phone: (702) 895-3584
    Geology BS: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2023
    Area of Focus: Marine Geochemistry, Economic Geology
    Email: martic63@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Denali Medina
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 103B
    Phone: (702) 895-1162
    Geology BS: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2022
    Area of Focus: Mineral Physics
    Email: jivanjee@unlv.nevada.edu 

  • Alison Miyazawa
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 117
    Phone: (702) 895-1133
    Biology BS:  University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2014
    Area of Focus: Hydrogeology
    Email: miyazaa@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Deborah Morales
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: SEB 3244
    Phone: (702) 895-1410
    Geology B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2015
    Area of Focus: Carbonate Sedimentology and chemostratigraphy
    Email: morald1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Gabriela Motta
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 100
    Phone: (702) 895-3118
    Earth & Environmental Science BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2022
    Area of Focus: Igneous Petrology, Planetary Science
    Email: MOTTAG1@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Dalton Pell
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 124
    Phone: (702) 895-4751
    Geology BS: University of Kansas, 2023
    Area of Focus: Economic Geology
    Email: pell@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Samantha Poppenhouse
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 117

    Biochemistry BS: Arizona State University, 2021
    Area of Focus: Hydrology, Hydrogeology
    Email: POPPENHO@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

  • Nicolle Pyper
    M.S. Student
    Office:

    Hotel Administration BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2013
    Area of Focus: Hydrogeology, Water Management, Wetland Conservation
    Email: PYPERN@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

  • Fiorella Ramirez-Guasp
    M.S. Student
    Office: TEC 122B

    Biology BS: University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2021
    Psychology BA: University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2021
    Area of Focus: Paleontology
    Email: RAMIREZG@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

  • Sierra Ramsey
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: TEC 110
    Phone: (702) 895-1531
    B.S.: Western Carolina University, 2018
    M.S.: University of Georgia, 2020
    Area of Focus: Planetary Science and Igneous Petrology
    Email:  ramses3@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Henry Schatz

    M.S. student

    Office: TEC 106

    B.S. Geology UNLV 2023

    Area of Focus: Structural Geology

    Email: schatz@unlv.nevada.edu

  • Taryn Traylor
    Ph.D. Student
    Office: SEB 4250
    Phone: (702) 895-1421
    Geology B.S.: Texas A&M University, 2017
    Geology M.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2020
    Area of Focus: High Pressure Rock Deformation, Mineral Physics
    Email: traylt1@unlv.nevada.edu