My research is focused on the use of seismograms to better image the Earth’s interior and large earthquake rupture processes. My specific interests include earthquake processes, the evolution of the lithosphere, seismic wave propagation, and quantitative data modeling. Among other topics, I continue to develop methods to image the lithosphere, illuminate large- and giant-earthquake rupture processes, and precisely locate earthquakes in remote regions (e.g. mid-ocean ridges).
Selected Recent Research Focuses
- Estimating near-surface shear-wave properties using short-period surface waves (in collaboration with Oak Ridge and Sandia National Laboratories)
- Local-distance P/S amplitude ratios for shallow earthquakes and mining-related events from South Africa’s Klerksdorp mining region.
- Precise locations of moderate-magnitude earthquakes along the 6000-km long southwest Indian Ridge using intermediate-period Love and Rayleigh waveforms.
- Explosion spall effects extracted from close-in accelerations of the Source Physics Experiments (Phase 1) using time-domain deconvolution.
I earned a B.S. in Physics from Penn State, an M.A. in Geology (Concentration in Geophysics) from SUNY Binghamton, and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from Penn State. I have been a member of the geoscience faculty since 2001 and Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs since July 2022. I teach courses on earthquake science to students spanning a spectrum from non-science students to advanced geophysics graduate students. I have served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Incorporated Institute of Seismology (IRIS, now part of the EarthScope Consortium), served as chair of the IRIS Global Seismographic Network Standing Committee, and serve on a seismic-monitoring advisory committee for the US Air Force.