Graduate Students

Danielle Merritt (M.S. 2016)
Thesis: Estimation of suspended particulate matter concentration in the Mississippi Sound using MODIS imagery
Current Position: Staff Geologist : Athena Engineering and Environmental

Asa Mullennex (M.S. 2016)
Thesis: Spatial correlation between framework geology and shoreline morphology in Grand Bay, Mississippi
Current Position: Geologist: Diversified Well Logging, LLC

Caitlin Ruby (M.S. 2017)
Thesis: Application of Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) to remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video data for enhanced geospatial analysis of deep sea environments
Current Position: Scientific Program Manager: NOAA Centers for Environmental Information

Brendan Lomago (M.S. 2018)
Thesis: Subsurface framework and fault timing in the Missourian Granite Wash Interval, Stiles Ranch and Mills Ranch fields, Wheeler County, Texas
Current Position: Staff Geologist: Seismic Surveys Inc

Daniel Adcock (M.S. 2019)
Thesis: Stratigraphic characterization of the Pleistocene paleodrainage network in the western Mississippi Sound
Current Position: Interdisciplinary Physical Scientist/Oceanographer: US Naval Oceanographic Office

Joseph French (M.S. 2020)
Thesis: Optimization of marsh terracing as a wetland restoration technique: Linking frontal and tropical storm passages to the erosion of cohesive sediments by wind driven waves
Current Position: Regulatory Project Manager: US Army Corps of Engineers

Taylor Lee (Ph.D. 2021)
Dissertation: A machine learning approach for predicting seafloor properties and their application in estimating a global methane hydrate inventory
Current Position: Geophysicist: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Zachary Peoples (M.S. 2022)
Thesis: Characterization of Quaternary stratigraphy in the Mississippi sound to evaluate the influence of geologic heterogeneity on submarine groundwater transport and discharge
Current Position: Surveyor (Marine): Fugro

Jake Freeman (M.S. 2023)
Thesis: Automated Mapping of Oblique Imagery Collected with Unmanned Vehicles in Coastal and Marine Environments
Current Position: Interdisciplinary Physical Scientist/Oceanographer: US Naval Oceanographic Office

Rebecca Gilpin (M.S. 2023) (Co-Advised with J. Cebrian)
Thesis: Summer fish and macroinvertebrate recruitment to a shallow vegetated coastal system in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Current Position: Researcher and Shellfish Aquaculture Manager: Rutgers University

Jonathan Leard (M.S. 2023) (Co-Advised with D. Schmitz)
Thesis: Surficial geologic mapping of the Starkville 7.5-minute United State Geological Survey Quadrangle 33088-D7 in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
Current Position: Geologist: Office of Geology, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Gabriel Hernandez (M.S. 2023)
Thesis: Evaluating the Relationship Between Methane Seeps and Seafloor Geomorphology on the Northern US Atlantic Margin
Current Position: Staff Geoscientist: Fugro Marine USA

Tia Offner (M.S. 2023) (Co-Advised with J. Cebrian)
Thesis: Habitat utilization of fringing marsh and adjacent submerged landscape by nekton in a Gulf of Mexico tidal oligohaline environment
Current Position: Fish and Wildlife Technician II: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Jeneil Patel (M.S. 2026)
Thesis: Movement and remobilization of phosphate in Grand Bay NERR
Current Position: System-wide Monitoring Program Technician: Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Jonathan Leard (Ph.D. 2026) (Co-Advised with D. Schmitz)
Current Position: Geologist: Office of Geology, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Emma Morgan (M.S. 2026)

Allison Wing (M.S. 2026)

Caitlyn Stiles (M.S. 2026)

Ramon Kalski (Ph.D. 2027)

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

Mali’o Kodis (B.S. Brown University 2014)
Current Position: Project Manager: Environmental Defense Fund

Maleen Kidiwela (B.S. 2019)
Current Position: Ph.D. Student in Marine Geophysics: University of Washington

Jake Freeman (B.S. 2020)
Current Position: Interdisciplinary Physical Scientist/Oceanographer: US Naval Oceanographic Office

Gabriel Hernandez (B.S. 2021)
Current Position: Staff Geoscientist: Fugro Marine USA

Linah Turner-Chism (B.S. 2022)
Current Position: Geologist: PELA GeoEnvironmental Inc.

McKenna Alden (B.S. 2023)
Current Position: M.S. Student in Oceanography: Dalhousie University

Morgan Trotter (B.S. 2024)
Current Position: M.S. Student in Earth and Ocean Sciences: University of North Carolina Wilmington

Surabhi Gupta (B.S. 2025)