Graduate Students

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

Shadrach (Shad) Ashton
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 122
Geosciences B.A.: Southern Utah University, 2022
Area of Focus: Soils
Email: ashtos1@unlv.nevada.edu

Jennifer Bell
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 115
Geology B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2024
Area of Focus: Economic Geology
Email: bellj843@unlv.nevada.edu

Joseph Bingham
Ph.D Student
Office: TEC 103B
Geology B.S.: Utah State University, 2022
Geology M.S.: West Virginia University, 2025
Area of Focus:
Paleontology
Email:
binghj3@unlv.nevada.edu 

Meaghan Boyle
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 107
Geology B.S.:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2025
Area of Focus:
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Geochronology, Thermochronology, economic geology
Email:
boylem2@unlv.nevada.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 B.S.: 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 B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2022
Area of Focus: Critical Zone Hydrology
Email: escami1@unlv.nevada.edu

Babak Ghazi
Ph.D. Student
Office: TEC 114
Area of Focus: Hydrology
Email: ghazi@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 B.S.: 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 B.S.: California State University, 2015
Area of Focus: Paleontology
Email: hertfs1@unlv.nevada.edu

Jacob Honeck
M.S. Student
Office: SEB 3244
B.S.: University of Alabama, 2021
Area of Focus: Paleoclimatology/Stable Isotope Geochemistry
Email: honecj1@unlv.nevada.edu

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

Charles Ojodale Igomu
Ph.D. Student
Office: SEB 4248
Phone: (702) 895-1531
Applied Geology BTech.: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, 2018
M.S. Geological Sciences: University of Texas, El Paso,  2025
Area of Focus: Clean Energy, Astrobiology
Email: Igomu@unlv.nevada.edu

Piper Irvin
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 117
Earth & Environmental Science B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2025
Anthropology B.A.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2025
Area of Focus: Hydrogeology and Geochemistry
Email: piper.irvin@unlv.edu

Cole Jacobs
Ph.D Student
Office: TEC 106
Phone: (702) 895-4633
Geology B.S.: 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

Lena Jude Lacherez
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 103
Geology B.S.: SUNY Plattsburgh 2025
Area of Focus: Paleoecology
Email: lacherez@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 B.S.: University of Bologna (Italy), 2015
Geology M.S.: 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 B.S.: 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 B.S.: University of Hawaii Manoa, 2016
M.S.: 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 B.S.: United States Air Force Academy, 2018
International Relations M.S.:  Liberty University, 2023
Area of Focus: Critical Zone Hydrology
Email: magness@unlv.nevada.edu

Brittany Meyers
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 117
Earth and Environmental Science B.S.: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2024
Area of Focus: Hydrology, Hydrogeology
Email: meyerb1@unlv.nevada.edu

Hali Montano
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 109
Geology B.S.: University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2025
Area of Focus: Field Geology, Tectonics
Email: montah1@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 B.S.: 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 B.S.: University of Kansas, 2023
Area of Focus: Economic Geology
Email: pell@unlv.nevada.edu

Samantha Poppenhouse
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 117
Biochemistry B.S.: Arizona State University, 2021
Area of Focus: Hydrology, Hydrogeology
Email: POPPENHO@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

Nicolle Pyper
M.S. Student
Office:
Hotel Administration B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2013
Area of Focus: Hydrogeology, Water Management, Wetland Conservation
Email: PYPERN@UNLV.NEVADA.EDU

Fiorella Ramirez-Guasp
Ph.D. Student
Office: TEC 122B
Biology B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2021
Psychology B.A.: 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

Tay’Lor Raymond
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 109
Geology B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2025
Area of Focus: Sedimentology: Eocene Forearc basin initiation following oceanic plateau collision and accretion
Email: raymon43@unlv.nevada.edu

Frances Sabatino
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 110
Geology B.S.: SUNY New Paltz
Area of Focus: Structure & Tectonics, Metamorphic Petrology
Email: sabatf1@unlv.nevada.edu

Alex Scandore
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 124
Geology B.S.: California State University, Long Beach, 2024
Area of Focus: Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Email: scandore@unlv.nevada.edu

Henry Schatz
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 106
Geology B.S.: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2023
Area of Focus: Structural Geology
Email: schatz@unlv.nevada.edu

Jacob Sutton
M.S. Student
Office: TEC 124
B.S.: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Area of Focus: Economic Geology
Email:  suttoj7@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