HANTUSH-DEJU NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGIC INNOVATION

Our Researchers

NMBGMR = NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
E&ES = Earth & Environmental Science 

Dr. Sue Bilek 

Professor, Geophysics, E&ES 

Ph.D. Earth Sciences / Geophysics, University of California Santa Cruz

Research Interests: Environmental Seismology

Dr. Dan Cadol 

Associate Professor, Geology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Earth Science, Colorado State University 

Research Interests: Ecohydrology; Ecohydraulics; Sediment Transport; Wildfire Hydrology

Amanda Doherty

Hydrogeologist/GIS Specialist, NMBGMR 

M.S. Geology, Colorado State University 

Research Interests: Aqueous geochemistry; geochemical modeling; 3D hydrogeologic subsurface maps

Dr. Benjamin Duval 

Associate Professor, Biology 

Ph.D. Biology, Northern Arizona University 

Research Interests: Riparian hydro-biogeochemistry; bacteriophage impact on nitrogen cycling; Animas River contaminant cycling

Marissa Fichera

Hydrogeologist, NMBGMR 

M.S. Hydrogeology, Colorado State University 

Research Interests: Regional-scale groundwater flow processes; groundwater / surface water interactions 

Bonnie Frey 

Geochemist/Chemistry Lab Manager, NMBGMR 

M.S. Geochemistry, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

Research Interests: Water chemistry; Geochemistry; Water sampling; Water quality; Water treatment

Dr. Zeljka Fuchs 

Research Associate Professor, Physics 

Ph.D. Atmospheric Physics, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

Research Interests: Atmospheric physics; tropical storms and hurricanes

Dr. Ashok Ghosh 

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering 

Ph.D. Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Research Interests: Water treatment; forward osmosis desalination

Dr. Alexander Gysi

Assistant Professor, Economic Geology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Aqueous Geochemistry, University of Iceland

Research Interests: Thermodynamic modeling of fluid-rock equilibria

Dr. Jan Hendrickx 

Professor Emeritus, Hydrology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Soil Physics, University of New Mexico 

Research Interests: Hydrology of the vadose zone; Quantification of fluid and contaminant movement through preferential flow paths

Dr. Frank Huang

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University 

Research Interests: Membrane processes for water desalination and waste water reuse; Biological wastewater treatment 

Dr. Nicole Hurtig 

Assistant Professor, Geochemistry, E&ES 

Ph.D. Geochemistry/Experimental High Temperature Geochemistry, McGill University 

Research Interests: Experimental geochemistry and thermodynamics 

Dr. Dan Jones 

Assistant Professor, Geomicrobiology, E&ES

Academic Director, National Cave and Karst Research Institute

Ph.D. Geosciences and Biogeochemistry, Penn State University 

Research Interests: Geomicrobiology, including microbial processes in mine waste, marine sediments, and wetland ecosystems

Dr. Shari Kelley

Senior Geophysicist, Field Geologist, NMBGMR 

Ph.D. Geophysics, Southern Methodist University 

Research Interests: Building and maintaining New Mexico’s part of the National Geothermal Database; Geothermal exploration in New Mexico

Dr. Thomas Kieft 

Professor, Biology 

Ph.D. Biology, University of New Mexico

Research Interests: Groundwater; microbiology; subsurface sampling

Daniel Koning

Senior Field Geologist, NMBGMR 

M.S. Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico 

Research Interests: Geologic mapping; geologic and stratigraphic framework for hydrogeologic studies

Dr. Lewis Land 

Hydrogeologist, National Cave and Karst Research Institute Liaison and Adjunct, NMBGMR 

Ph.D. Geology, University of North Carolina 

Research Interests: Regional investigations of karstic limestone aquifers in the lower Pecos region

Dr. Kate Leary

Assistant Professor, Geomorphology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Geology, Arizona State University 

Research Interests: Surface processes; fluvial geomorphology; sediment transport; process sedimentology

Ethan Mamer 

Hydrogeologist, Aquifer Mapping Program, NMBGMR 

M.S. Hydrogeology, State University of New York, Buffalo 

Research Interests: GIS based aquifer and water-level surface interpolation; Geochemical analysis of groundwater and surface water; Groundwater modeling

Christopher Morton

Hydrogeologist, Aquifer Mapping Program, NMBGMR 

M.S. Cultural and Environmental Resource Management, Central Washington University 

Research Interests: Creating 3D models of aquifers in the state; Collecting water-related data in the field

Dr. Talon Newton 

Hydrogeologist, Aquifer Mapping Program, NMBGMR 

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast 

Research Interests: Soil water dynamics; Aqueous geochemistry and environmental tracers; Groundwater/surface water interactions

Kristin Pearthree

Research Scientist, NMBGMR 

M.S. Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico 

Research Interests: Healy Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network; Climate and Water Science Advisory Panel

Dr. Mark Person 

Professor, Hydrology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Geology, The Johns Hopkins University

Research Interests: Groundwater; water resources 

Dr. Fred Phillips 

Professor Emeritus, Hydrology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Hydrology, University of Arizona 

Research Interests: Developing a numerical model to quantify groundwater recharge over the entire state of New Mexico; Investigating changes in hydrological systems induced by tectonics

Dr. Geoffrey Rawling 

Senior Field Geologist, Aquifer Mapping Program, NMBGMR 

Ph.D. Geology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

Research Interests: Collection of physical and chemical hydrologic data; Geologic mapping

Dr. David Raymond 

Professor Emeritus, Physics 

Ph.D. Physics, Stanford University 

Research Interests: Convection and planetary atmospheres; Geophysical fluid dynamics

Dr. Alex Rinehart

Assistant Professor, Hydrology, E&ES 

Ph.D. Geophysics, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

Research Interests: Water-mediated time-dependent rock deformation using environmental tracers

Dr. Michael Schaefer 

Assistant Professor, Aqueous Geochemistry, E&ES 

Ph.D. Environmental Earth System Science, Stanford University 

Research Interests: Mineral redox chemistry; Surface-groundwater interactions; Chemical safety of point-of-use ceramic water filters

Dr. Glenn Spinelli

Professor, Geophysics, E&ES 

Ph.D, University of California Santa Cruz 

Research Interests: Marine hydrogeology; Fault zone permeability; sedimentology/sediment physical properties 

Laila Sturgis 

Senior Hydrogeologist/Technical Manager, NMBGMR 

M.S. Hydrology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Research Interests: 3D aquifer maps; Monitor groundwater across the state

Stacy Timmons 

Associate Director for Hydrogeology Programs, NMBGMR 

M.S. Geology, Oregon State University 

Research Interests: Developing regional scale hydrogeology projects; Leading implementation of the NM Water Data Act (from 2019 House Bill 651)

Dr. Haoying Wang 

Assistant Professor, Department of Business and Technology Management 

Ph.D. Applied Economics and Operations Research, Penn State 

Research Interests: Environmental and natural resource economics; surface water; modeling

Dr. John Wilson

Professor Emeritus, Hydrology, E&ES 

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Research Interests: Groundwater hydrology: contaminant source identification; stream-aquifer interaction 

Dr. Jianjia Yu 

Group Head of Produced Water and Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Recovery Research Center (PRRC)

Ph.D. Petroleum Engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 

Research Interests: Water purification; Water quality

E&ES Adjunct Faculty 

Researcher Research Interests
Dr. Denis Cohen Hydrogeology; Glaciology; Climatology
Dr. Sam Fernald Water quality hydrology
Dr. Marty Frisbee Groundwater-surface water interactions
Dr. Jesus Gomez-Velez Hydrogeology 
Dr. John Hawley  Geomorphology; Hydrogeology
Dr. Andrew Luhmann Karst hydrology
Dr. Adrian Oglesby Water law
Dr. David Reusch Meteorology; Climatology
Dr. Vincent C. Tidwell Fluid flow; Water resources management