About

Welcome to the Earth and Planetary Surface Processes (EPSP) Section Student Website. We are a group of students who volunteer to promote & advocate for student involvement in the EPSP community. We also facilitate networking opportunities for EPSP students, peer mentoring opportunities, and gauge student interest & community climate. You might be familiar with our work organizing the Early Career Spotlight every month on the EPSP website. We also run Fall Meeting events like the EPSP Early Career Student Networking Event and Early Career Social Night.

View our Bylaws (adopted January 2021 and updated April 2023)

Bylaws Amendment 1 (evaluation rubric for selecting new members)

Meet your student committee representatives:

Interested in joining?

We typically admit new committee members in January and February. If you're interested in volunteering for EPSP outside of the student committee, feel free to contact any of the EPSP officers about existing opportunities. 

All applications for new student committee members are evaluated following this rubric.

Lucille Baker-Stahl, University of Houston

What are your EPSP research interests?
Sediment transport and morphodynamics, deltas, the future of permafrost and peri- and proglacial landscapes

What influenced you to study EPSP?
My interest in geology initially developed after watching an animated documentary going through the geologic eras and how the Earth changed through time. I was fascinated by the imagery and seeing landscapes morph drastically. However, after an undergraduate senior thesis on Ordivician carbonates, I realized I was less interested in understanding the world millions of years in the past when it was changing so quickly around me. I am still passionate about how landscapes change but have found EPSP to be a way to direct my research to directly overlap with natural hazards and human lives, predicting the future of Earth’s Surface and motivating me more than the geologic past.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy going for walks or hikes while listening to audiobooks (even more so if they’re science fiction or fantasy), brewing mead, and watching non-geoscience educational content (engineering, chemistry, physics, sociology and more).

Contact Info: lbakerst@cougarnet.uh.ed

Claire Divola, University of California Santa Barbara (she/her/hers)

What are your EPSP research interests?
Coastal geology, sedimentology and stratigraphy

What influenced you to study EPSP?
Growing up near both an active part of the San Andreas Fault and the coast, I saw many examples of how geological hazards permanently altered the landscape. The fascination I developed for understanding the processes driving such changes motivated me to pursue a PhD in coastal sedimentology.

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy taking care of my horse, Red, and trail riding or practicing dressage. I also enjoy hiking, playing volleyball, and spending time with my friends and family.

Contact Info: cdivola@ucsb.edu, Twitter: @claire_div

Abhishek Ghimire, University of Iowa

What are your EPSP research interests?
Boundary layer in open-channel flows, sediment transport, scour, and erosion; flows in vegetated waterways.

What influenced you to study EPSP?
I come from Nepal, which is rich in high-gradient perennial rivers. I have always found them fascinating; however, I’ve also seen firsthand how destructive they can be. This duality made me interested in understanding the geomorphological processes associated with alluvial channels and using engineering skills for river and watershed management as well as hazard mitigation.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy cooking, watching movies, biking, and working out. I also love spending time with my beloved cat, Kiki.

Contact Info: abhishek-ghimire@uiowa.edu LinkedIn: Abhishek Ghimire

Lauren Guido, Colorado School of Mines

I am a PhD candidate at the Colorado School of Mines studying post-wildfire debris flow sediment entrainment rate variation! I am interested in what processes and morphologies govern changes in sediment recruitment of supercritical flows. I began to specialize in EPSP research as I found my academic interests all centered on understanding the interplay between the geologic and anthropologic timescales. Outside of academics - I like to enjoy earth surface processes via mountain bike, skis, or running shoes!

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Dru-Ann Harris, Georgia Tech

What are your EPSP research interests?
Tectonic geomorphology, low-temperature thermochronology, glacial geomorphology

What influenced you to study EPSP?
I grew up in the Appalachian mountains surrounded by their natural beauty. I also was surrounded by natural resource extraction in the form of underground and surface coal mines. I had always appreciated the natural world but was hesitant to study geology in college, because I thought getting a degree in earth science was synonymous with wanting a job in the extraction of fossil fuels. When I took my first geology class I learned about the plethora of opportunities available in earth science, and loved the idea of doing research. Since then I’ve been focused on learning about what processes affect mountain landscapes, which I think comes from my curiosity about the mountains I called home growing up.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy trail running, kayaking, day hikes with my dog, and baking!

Contact Info: dharris326@gatech.edu, Twitter: @druann_harris

Taylor Johaneman, University of Colorado Boulder

What are your EPSP research interests?
My research interests include floodplain carbon storage, process-based river restoration strategies and effects on fluvial ecogeomorphic processes, beaver and floodplain carbon accumulation, and floodplain/channel evolution.

What influenced you to study EPSP?
My decision to study EPSP in graduate school stems from my undergraduate education, where I took several courses in hydrology and water resources. At the end of my 3rd year of undergrad, I participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where I did research on Arctic rivers. This experience made me realize I wanted to do more research on rivers and wanted to focus on geomorphic processes that influence rivers and their floodplains. I then applied to several graduate programs and decided to join the Riverine Ecogeomorphology Research (RIVER) Lab at CU Boulder, where I will finish my Ph.D. in the next year or two!

 What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to spend my free time biking, snowboarding, gardening, and cooking!

Srinanda Nath, Georgia Tech

What are your EPSP research interests?
Tectonic geomorphology, surface processes, low- T thermochronometry

What influenced you to study EPSP?
While it be cool to have a time machine to get a firsthand view of the Earth in the past, one can also look at the surface of the Earth, which thankfully preserves so much of the history over the billions of years it’s been hanging around. I find it amazing that even an apparently bland piece of landscape, can lead you to a detailed past climate record, like for example extensive deposits of innocent loess have been key evidence in deciphering past Ice ages. I think surface processes is an incredibly underrated branch, even though everyone who studies the earth is at mercy of whatever the surface preserves, so I believe it’s worth taking time to decrypt it.

What do you like to do in your free time?
My free time is mostly filled with reading, running, and crocheting. I also enjoy taking up new hobbies from time to time, right now I am experimenting with homemade tofu.

Contact Info: snath40@gatech.edu, IG/Twitter: @whoserockisthis

Trap Puckette, University of California Santa Barbara

What are your EPSP research interests?
My research interests include coastal geology, sedimentology, sea-level change, and ice sheet evolution.

What influenced you to study EPSP?
Growing up along the coast in South Carolina, I was always curious about the processes that shaped the landscapes around me. In my freshman year of college, I took an introductory course on sea-level rise and discovered a passion for studying earth systems from a geologic perspective. Since then, I have enjoyed contributing to research that examines sea-level change throughout Earth’s recent history— work that helps inform our understanding of future coastal change.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to hike, surf, and freedive— pretty much anything that involves being outdoors!

Contact Info: ptpuckette@ucsb.edu, Instagram: trappuckette_geo

Aditi Ravi, University of Twente

What are your EPSP research interests?
Planetary Remote sensing, geology, geomorphology, geological field work understanding outcrops

What influenced you to study EPSP?
Living in the foothills of Himalayas at Dehradun, India, I have always been fascinated by the mountains and its geology and pursuing an engineering course has made me realize the infinite applications of geological sciences. Going on trekking expeditions in the mountains and being part of star-gazing events and discussions, there was always a part of me inclined towards planetary sciences. It gave me a clear picture that a research path in Earth and Planetary Sciences is what I want to pursue.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy exploring natural terrains, going on treks and hikes, and spending quiet time reading. I’m not very social, but I find peace and inspiration in nature. I also love writing—especially poetry and travelogues that capture the essence of the places I visit.

Emma Rogers, Dartmouth University (Student Committee Chair)

What are your EPSP research interests?
Martian terrestrial analogs, Alluvial fan geomorphology, Grain shape evolution, stratigraphy

What influenced you to study EPSP?
I love taking something like rock shape or alluvial fans, something that many people wouldn't consider for longer than a couple of seconds, and using them to explore the past and present history of not only the Earth, but the other planets in our solar system. I think it is so cool that this field allows me to use the world around me to see 'back in time' to landscapes and environments that no longer exist. I find it even cooler that I can do the same for somewhere such as Mars, where we have only scratched the surface of exploration.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I love tapping into my creativity with watercolor painting, sewing, embroidery, or any other craft that comes my way! I also love being outdoors by traveling, hiking, hammocking, swimming, or even just reading a nice book out in the sun!

Contact Info: emma.rogers.gr@dartmouth.edu; Personal Science Website, Watercolor Instagram: @designs_by_emma_rae

Aditi Roy, University of Delhi

What are your EPSP research interests?
Hydrogeomorphology, tectonic geomorphology, watershed management, landscape evolution.

What influenced you to study EPSP?
My upbringing in the densely populated Lower Gangetic Plain and my travels across diverse landscapes allowed me to observe how hydrogeomorphic hazards continuously reshape the landscape, often intensified by anthropogenic stressors. These experiences sparked my interest in understanding the processes that drive landscape evolution and the importance of sustainable watershed management. During my academic journey, I found that EPSP offers a comprehensive framework to study the Human-environment interactions, and to address current environmental challenges.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, and exploring offbeat places. I have a passion for landscape photography and often find inspiration in reading and watching travel blogs, which fuel my curiosity and deep love for nature.

Contact info: aroy@geography.du.ac.in, LinkedIn, IG/Twitter: @aditiroy4eve

Thiruni Thirimanne, University of Waterloo

What are your EPSP research interests?
My primary research interests revolve around modeling and spatial analysis of erosion sensitivity in landscapes, particularly in response to land-use changes and climate variability. I am especially interested in using GIS-based methods and Python-driven desktop applications to simulate sediment transport, evaluate land degradation patterns, and support environmental policy decision-making. My work aims to integrate ecological data with computational tools to assess the effectiveness of land management strategies in mitigating erosion and preserving ecosystem services.

What influenced you to study EPSP?
Growing up in Milton, Ontario, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a diverse natural landscape that includes parts of the Niagara Escarpment, conservation areas such as Rattlesnake Point and Kelso, and various wetlands, forests, and karst formations. These environments sparked my early curiosity about natural systems and environmental change. I spent much of my time hiking and exploring these areas, where I observed firsthand the impacts of seasonal change and human activity on the land.

 What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy being outdoors (hiking, kayaking, running), baking, playing badminton, and doing pottery.