My research interests are currently in palynology; I study the microscopic fossils of plant pollen and spores preserved in sediments to help understand ancient vegetation structures. My current work focuses on Quaternary montane ecosystems in Uganda, and my previous work has focused on understanding the palynostratigraphy of Late Cretaceous coastal plains sediments in Delaware and Maryland.
Christian is a PhD student working on understanding the transport and remediation of groundwater contamination in coastal regions using field, lab, and numerical modeling techniques. He received a B.S. from Hope College in Geology, where he studied the geochemical controls on methane emissions in Lake Michigan coastal wetlands. He then spent two years in the environmental consulting industry, where he worked on preventing and tracking groundwater contamination from industrial sources. Currently, his research focuses on the stabilization of contaminants from shallow wastewater injection in the Florida Keys. In his spare time, he enjoys singing in a community choir and spending time with his wife and two cats.
Broad interests:
Key fundamental questions that interest me:
Fracking for natural gas in parts of Pennsylvania with a legacy of energy extraction may increase the risk of groundwater contamination, according to a team led by Penn State scientists.