People

Lab Director

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 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 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 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 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* 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) 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 2015, M.S. Student	Thesis: "Inlet-Adjacent Behavior at Three Stabilized Inlets in Palm Beach County, FL"
	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).