Group Members

Current Graduate Students

Mikaila Bolin
B.S.: Sam Houston State University
About Me: I am most interested in geochronology and in understanding the geologic processes that form sedimentary basins as well as the provenance of the sediments that fill them. I am originally from Arkansas, but I have studied in Texas and worked as an environmental geologist in Missouri before returning to Arkansas for my graduate studies. In my free time, I am a jack of all crafts and an outdoor enthusiast.

Gabby Martin
B.S.: University of Arizona
About Me: I am interested in utilizing different geochronological techniques on a variety of minerals to understand the formation and evolution of sedimentary systems. I am originally from Pennsylvania and attended school in Arizona. In my free time, I enjoy road trips, hiking, golfing, and cooking.

Anurag Kulkarni
B.S.: The University of Texas at Austin
About Me: TBD

Ethan Oleson
B.S.: Montana State University
M.S.: University of Arkansas
About Me: I am interested in understanding the evolution of modern and ancient sedimentary systems and their linkages to tectonic processes through the use and development of thermo/geochronologic techniques. I am originally from South Dakota and attended school in Montana before moving to Arkansas for my master’s degree, and I stayed for my doctorate. In my free time, I enjoy running, caving, hiking, woodworking, and reading. 

Former Graduate Students

Quinten Jones
B.S.: California University of Pennsylvania 
M.S.: University of Arkansas
Insights from Automated Mineralogic Analysis of Modern Sand

Jack Fekete
B.S.: Purdue University
Ph.D.: University of Arkansas
Refining the Geochronologic Framework of the Early Cretaceous Nonmarine Western Interior Basin, USA

Ben Howard
B.S.: University of Iowa
M.S.: University of Arkansas
Maximum Depositional Age Analysis using Paired LA-ICP-MS and CA-ID-TIMS Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology

Isaac Johnson
B.S.: Trinity University
M.S.: University of Arkansas
Machine Learning Applied to a Modern-Pleistocene Petrographic Dataset: The Global Prediction of Sand Mineralogy (GloPrSM) Model

Linnea Johnson
B.S.: Illinois State University
M.S.: University of Arkansas
Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of Upper Mississippian Siltstone, Oklahoma and Arkansas

Jordan Oefinger
B.S.: The University of Texas at Austin
M.S.: The University of Arkansas
C-Isotope Chemostratigraphy and Fluvial Sedimentology of the Moenave Formation, Utah

Adam Ball
B.S.: Texas Tech University
M.S.: University of Arkansas
Multi-Proxy Provenance Analysis of the Stevens Sandstone, San Joaquin Basin, California

David Gates
B.S. Wheaton College
M.S., University of Arkansas
Integrated Hyperspectral and Geochemical Analysis of the Upper Mississippian Meramec STACK Play and Outcrop Equivalents, Anadarko Basin and Ozark Uplift, Oklahoma

Asher Boudreaux
B.S.: University of Arkansas
M.S.: University of Arkansas
Provenance and Maximum Depositional Age Analysis of the Moenave Formation using Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Sandstone Petrography

Undergraduate Students

Gunnar Gregory

Geology Major – Conducted a pXRF analysis of the Paleocene-Eocene transition, deep-water Wilcox Group, Gulf of Mexico

Billy Niznik

Geology Major – Conducted a subsurface well-log analysis of deep-water Wilcox Group, Gulf of Mexico

Malcolm Cross

Geology Major – Analyzing the influence of washing procedure (water table vs settling columns) during mineral separation on detrital mineral studies

Sam Vasquez

Geology Major – “No Zircon Left Behind” – development of mineral separation techniques where all zircon is retained for assessing the potential of grain size fractionation on biasing detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions, Wax Lake Delta, Lousiana

Amy Gottberg

Geology Major – X-Ray Diffraction Mineralogy of the Paleocene-Eocene transition: Laramide Hinterland versus Gulf of Mexico