I am a scientist enamoured with landscapes.

My work sits at the intersection of geophysics, geomorphology, and soft-matter/granular physics. I am currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania working with Doug Jerolmack. Previously, I was a masters student with Ben Crosby.

Why landscapes?

Earth’s surface is a granular-fluid interface, home to rolling hills, badlands, Arctic tundra, coastlines, deep-sea trenches, dune fields, steep mountains, glacial valleys, meandering rivers, and the ground beneath our feet. Grains of sediment on these landscapes are nudged about by wind and water, and relentlessly pulled by gravity. These are simple ingredients. Yet they give rise to endless forms most beautiful. Geological processes span lengthscales from microns to the size of the planet itself, and timescales from nanoseconds to billions of years. Landscape morphology and evolution are therefore orchestrated by a multiplicity of processes whose dynamics traverse multiple scales.

My PhD works towards a) demonstrating that this interface is a glass and b) exploring the ontological and epistemological consequences of such a view.

Research

I am currently working on:

• Creep and glassy dynamics in an experimental sandpile
• Phenomenology of relaxing and rejuvenated earthflows
• Formation and collapse of colloidal gels
• Structure, dynamics, and rheology of logjams

More biographical tidbits can be found in this spotlight.