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People

 

Lab Director

Dr. Tiffany Briggs

Tiffany Roberts Briggs, Ph.D.  

Interim Chair of Geosciences,
Director, Environmental Science Program,
Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences

E-mail:  briggst@fau.edu

About:

Ph.D., Geology, University of South Florida, 2012
M.S., Geology, University of South Florida, 2008
B.S., Environmental Science, Honors College, University of South Florida, 2002

Research Interests: Coastal geomorphology and geology; storm impact and recovery; beach nourishment evolution; coastal sedimentology; coastal ecosystem health.

Dr. Tiffany Roberts Briggs Faculty page 
FAU Geosciences Homepage

Graduate Students 

David Anderson

David Anderson

Ph.D. Student, Geosciences
E-mail: michaelander2012@fau.edu

Background: B.A. History, Auburn University; M.S. Geography, University of Alabama
Research: Sea turtle conservation- past, present, and future

Tynon (Ty) Briggs

Tynon (Ty) Briggs

Ph.D. Student, Geosciences
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: tbriggs2013@fau.edu

Background: B.S. Environmental Management, University of West Florida
Research: Inlet adjacent beach-dune dynamics.
Awards: Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference 2017 (YCSEC) Undergraduate Student Paper Award (UWF)

Chelsea Cameron

Chelsea Cameron

M.S. Student, Marine Science & Oceanography
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: ccameron2015@fau.edu

Background: B.S. Environmental Science and Natural Resource Conservation, B.A. Social Sciences, Stetson University
Research: Environmental influences on sea turtle nesting
 

Leanne Hauptman

Leanne Hauptman

Ph.D. Student, Geosciences
Lab Safety - Group Compliance Liaison
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: lhauptman2021@fau.edu

Background: M.P.S. Marine Ecosystems and Society, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science; B.S. Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University
Research: Impacts of beach nourishment sediment on marine turtle nesting habitat, hatching, and emergence success (funded by the PBC Dept. of Environmental Resources Management)

Camryn (Cami) Inman

Camryn (Cami) Inman
 
M.S. Student, Environmental Science
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: inmanc2022@fau.edu 
 

Background: Biology with concentration in Marine Biology, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Research: Environmental science

Palaparthi Jyothirmayi (Jyothi)

Palaparthi Jyothirmayi
(Jyothi)

Ph.D. Student, Geosciences
Graduate Teaching Assistant

Lab Safety - Group Compliance Liasion for Departmental Teaching Labs
E-mail: jpalaparthi2017@fau.edu

 

Background: Integrated M. Sc. Tech. in Applied Geology, IIT(ISM), India; M.S. Geosciences, Florida Atlantic University
Research: Natural and anthropogenic influences on national beach nourishment activities and the impact on regional sediment budgets (funded by the US Coastal Research Program). Influence of sediment properties on beach substrate temperature (funded by the PBC Dept. of Environmental Resources Management).
Awards: Smt. Renuka Rajhans Memorial Gold Medal, Indian School of Mines (2014-2015 batch), INSPIRE Fellowship from Department of Science and Technology (DST), India (2010-2015), ASBPA Educational Award (2018), ASBPA Nicholas Kraus Coastal Scholar Award (2019)

Summer Manestar

Summer Manestar

M.S. Student, Marine Science & Oceanography
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: smanestar2021@fau.edu
Background: B.A. Coastal Environmental Science, Flagler College
Research: Mapping coastal morphology and beach habitat using UAS captured imagery and GIS


William Matt McCormick

William (Matt) McCormick

M.S. Student, Geosciences
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: wmccormick2022@fau.edu 

Background: B.S in Geology, Fort Lewis College
Research: Storm-induced impact and recovery of nourished and unnourished beaches 


Kayla O'Brien

Kayla O'Brien

M.S. Student, Environmental Sciences
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: obrienk2022@fau.edu

Background: Botany, Field Biology, and Environmental Science, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Research:
Microplastics in sediment of the beach and mangrove environments of barrier islands (funded by National Parks Conservation Association)

Sofia Ojeda

Sofia Ojeda

M.S. Student, Marine Science & Oceanography
Graduate Teaching Assistant
E-mail: sojeda2017@fau.edu

Background: B.S., Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University
Research: 
Influence of sediment properties on three nesting sea turtle species in northern Palm Beach County, FL (partially funded by Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management)

Ryan Sloan

Ryan Sloan

M.S. Student, Environmental Sciences
E-mail: rsloan4@fau.edu

Background: B.A., History, University of Central Florida
Research:
Tropical and winter storm impacts on beach-dune morphology 

Raquel Valdes

Raquel Valdes

M.S. Student, Marine Science & Oceanography
Graduate Student
E-mail: valdesr2020@fau.edu

Background:  B.S. Marine Science, New College of Florida
Research:  Influence of sediment properties on beach substrate temperature and sea turtle nesting, hatching, and emergence success (funded by the PBC Dept. of Environmental Resources Management).

Undergraduate Students

Teagan Duenkel

Teagan Duenkel

B.S. Student, Geology focus
E-mail: tduenkel2020@fau.edu

Research: Decadal-scale morphologic variability of an inlet-adjacent beach, 2021 joint project funded by FAU OURI; and sedimentology of nourished and non-nourished beaches

Kyana Sanford

Kyana Sanford

B.S. Student, Climate Change focus
E-mail: ksandford2020@fau.edu


Research: 
Sedimentology of nourished and non-nourished beaches (working on funded PBC ERM project); Sandy Sunday content contributor

Lab Alumni

Corey Aitken

Corey Aitken

2017, M.S. Geosciences

 

Non-Thesis. Corey is currently pursuing a second MS degree in Urban and Regional Planning at FAU.  Corey is a planner with Monroe County's Planning and Environmental Resources Department (Marathon, FL).

Joseph (Joe) Becker

Joseph (Joe) Becker

2019, M.S. Geosciences

 

Thesis: "Mapping the Fresh-Saltwater Transition Zone Across the Beach Environment Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)"  Joe worked for APTIM, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL) as a Coastal Geologist for a few years before recently joining EnviroTrac as a Staff Scientist (NJ).

Evan Blanchard

Evan Blanchard

2021, M.S. Environmental Science

 

Non-thesis.  Evan's graduate research focused on the effects of ocean acidification on coastal resiliency.  Evan is a Staff Scientist with Brizaga (Fort Lauderdale, FL).

Nicholas (Nick) Brown

Nicholas (Nick) Brown

2022, Ph.D. Geosciences
Thesis: "Coastal system variability of the beach-nearshore environment from natural and anthropogenic influences".  Nick is the Director of Coastal Geology and Resiliency with ACT Engineers in New Jersey.

Cristal Espinosa

Cristal Espinosa

2022, M.S. Environmental Science

 

Non-thesis.  Cristal's research focused on marine debris distribution in coastal mangrove ecosystems.  Cristal is a Biologist with Miami Dade County in the Department of Environmental Resource Management.

Richard (Ray) Hart

Richard (Ray) Hart

2019, M.S. Geosciences

Thesis: "Hurricane Irma Impact and Post-Storm Beach Morphology Evolution in Boca Raton, FL".  Ray worked as a Coastal Geologist with APTIM, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL) for several years before joining Miami-Dade County as a Geologist in the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Department. 

Andrew Medhurst

Andrew Medhurst

2019, M.S. Environmental Sciences
Non-Thesis. Andrew's graduate research focused on the role of coastal morphology, sedimentology, and beach flooding on critical sea turtle nesting habitat.  After working for a few years post-grad as a Coastal Biologist with the National Audubon Society (Moss Point, MS), Andrew is now the Resilience Coordinator for the Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects: Sea Level Rise based out of the Mississippi State University Coastal Research Center (Biloxi, MS).

Michael Priddy

Michael Priddy

2022, M.S.Geosciences
 
Thesis: "Seasonal storm-induced nearshore sediment transport and morphology change in Boca Raton, FL".  Mike was a recipient of the ASBPA Nicholas Kraus Coastal Scholar Award (2021).  Mike is currently a PhD student at Virgina Tech Department of Geosciences.

Austin Scheinkman

Austin Scheinkman

2022, M.S. Geosciences
 
Thesis: "Spatiotemporal variability of inlet adjacent placement of dredge material".  Austin is spending the year on the coast of Spain as a Language and Cultural Assistant.

Tommy Shahan

Tommy Shahan

2018, M.S. Geosciences

Thesis: "Morphologic Evolution and Alongshore Variability of Two Beach Nourishment Projects in Southeast FL, USA". Tommy is a Coastal Geologist with APTIM, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL).

Kyle Shaver

Kyle Shaver

2020, M.S. Geosciences

Thesis: "Using low-cost multi-depth samplers to characterize the variability of specific conductance in coastal south Florida beaches." Kyle is a field technician with TetraTech, Inc. (Boynton Beach, FL).

Sabrina Camara Dos Santos Porto

Sabrina Camara Dos Santos Porto

2017, M.S. Geosciences

Thesis: "Use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in a Study on Beach Morphodynamics at Red Reef Beach, Boca Raton, FL". Sabrina is a Coastal Geologist with APTIM, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL).
Edward Vandamas

Edward Vandamas

2015, M.S. Student

 Thesis: "Inlet-Adjacent Behavior at Three Stabilized Inlets in Palm Beach County, FL"

William Warren

William Warren

2017, M.S. Geology;

2015, B.S. Geology

Thesis: "Storm-Induced Nearshore Sediment Transport".  Will is a Coastal Geologist with Taylor Engineering, Inc. (Destin, FL).