Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2028B

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

I was born and reared in Southern California; earned a B.A. degree at the University of Oregon in Eugene; a Master's degree from the University of Chicago; and, a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. All my degrees are in geography. At the doctoral level, I minored in anthropology. I taught at Radford University in Virginia, Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Minnesota, and the U.S. Air Force Academy (for nine years) before coming to Metro State, where I have been teaching for the past seven years. 

Teaching Philosophy

I can and have taught almost every geography course, from physical, economic, political, and field methods to human geography.

Research

My research interests have changed over the years. Earlier in my career, I researched and wrote on a variety of topics in cultural and historical geography. Later, I wrote on business (marketing research) topics (mostly in Southern California). More recently, I turned my attention to medical geography.

Position Role:
Full-Time Staff

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2028A

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Full-Time Staff

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2053

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Josh has a Bachelor's degree in Meteorology from Rutgers University in New Jersey where he grew up.  He has a Master's degree in Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, both from the University of Colorado.  Josh's research is in the field of atmospheric chemistry.  

Position Role:
Full-Time Staff

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2055

Office Hours:

Due to COVID-19, advising appointments can be done over the phone or through a video call.  

Advising Appointment Options:

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You can schedule an appointment online through the Student Hub.

Technology to Download:

Navigate Student app (download from your phone’s respective app store) - This app allows you to schedule advising appointments by clicking on the purple circle labeled Appointments

Microsoft Teams-

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4. Click the “Download Teams for Desktop” link in the bottom left-hand corner
5. Install Teams for your operating system (Windows or OSX). Mobile apps are available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 10 from their respective app stores 

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2027

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

Shamim Ahsan: Bangladeshi-American, Professor of Environmental Science in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at MSU of Denver since 2005. He teaches a variety of topics in environmental science. Dr. Ahsan also has experience teaching to diversified groups of students in different countries. Before joining as faculty at MSU Denver in 2005, he has served in different national and international environmental organizations in various capacities. Dr. Ahsan has worked in several developing countries with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UN –Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). He has earned wide-ranging exposure and work experience on global environmental issues, which provides him advantages when imparting real life know-how to students. Dr. Ahsan is a strong believer of social justice in all environmental matters and passionately promotes this concept through participation in community activism. He has also worked in the area of environmental research and has published several research papers on environmental related topic. He has attended several national and international conferences to present papers.

Educational Biography

BS in Biochemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh MS in Biochemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh MS in Environmental Scieice and Technology, IHE, Holland PhD in Material Science, Mie University, Japan 

Courses Taught

Introduction to Environmental Science, Environmental Health, Waste Management, Environmental Remediation, Global Environmental Challenges, Variable Topics on environment and Sustainable Energy and Environment

Research

Basic research on development of efficient treatment technology and energy alternatives produced form waste materials (e.g., waste cooking oil, unused animal fats), impacts of electronic waste on environment and human health. 

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2026

Office Hours:

Tuesday and Thursdays 11:00-2:00

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

I was born and raised in Santiago, Chile’s capital. I went to the Catholic University of Chile for five years to study Geography. In the 1990s, I arrived in Los Angeles, California, to pursue graduate school. First, I completed another undergraduate degree in Geography. Then, after a year of work, I decided to study Planning because it provided me the capacity to link abstract theory with concrete practice. I went to the UCLA Department of Urban Planning—where I earned my M.A. and Ph.D.

Teaching Philosophy

My training is in international development planning and comparative urbanism. I teach lower division courses in geography and upper division courses in urban and regional planning for the Land Use Program. I am developing a new concentration in land use on sustainability, whose main goal is to provide a trans-disciplinary education to sustainable practices to improve the quality of the built and natural environment. This new curriculum in sustainability will have the potential to form professionals that will contribute to the central problem of how to initiate, foster and manage the pace of change needed to transition to sustainability.

Research

I am currently working on two projects: The first project is an analysis of urban and rural planning tools for adaptation and mitigation strategies for future conditions of water scarcity due to climate change in the South America. The second project is an analysis of the urban experience (around the notion of the right to the city) during the Chilean socialist experience (1970-73). 

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2015

Office Hours:

Mondays/Wednesdays 11:00-12:15 
Tuesdays/Thursdays  12:30-1:45

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2048

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Ph.D. Civil Engineering; Virginia Tech M.E. Civil Engineering; University of Florida B.S. Civil Engineering; University of Florida 

Dr. Randi Brazeau is a water expert who studies the effectiveness of water decontamination systems. This work has the potential to mitigate people’s exposure to harmful pollutants following disasters such as mine-waste spills.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2024

Office Hours:

Mondays/Wednesdays 10:30-12:00
Tuesdays 10:00-11:15 and by appointment

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

Dr. EchoHawk has thirty years of Rocky Mountain geological experience, including resource exploration and engineering geology, professional society program administration, and teaching at undergraduate, graduate, community college, and K-12 levels.

Teaching Philosophy

Stratigraphy, sedimentology, structure, energy and mineral resources, natural hazards, place-based geology (local, state, regional, national parks), geomorphology, introductory physical and historical geology, "geoart", physical geography, science education.

Research

Structural and stratigraphic controls on siliciclastic deposition, Cretaceous Western Interior of North America; engineering geology of the Colorado Front Range; "speaking geology" as a second language: multilingual strategies in teaching/learning geosciences; multiple intelligences applied to geosciences; geoscience education.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2016

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

Dr. Evans earned his bachelors degree in chemistry and his M.S. and Ph.D in agronomy and Soil Chemistry at the University of Nebraska. After post-doctoral studies at Virginia Tech, he has worked as a Senior Researcher in Civil Engineering and in environment consulting. He has taught at the doctoral level for several years at Clemson University, and in recent years has been involved with undergraduate teaching and research at James Madison University, the University of Dubuque, and Metro State. He holds a graduate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado, in science education, and is a licensed secondary science instructor in Colorado. 

Teaching Philosophy

Soil-water chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Applied Pollution Science; Research Methods and Integrated Science.

Research

Soil - water chemistry as applied to natural systems. At the moment I am particularly interested in nutrient availability/chemcial speciation in permafrost and alpine soils in the Rocky Mountains. I am also interested in geo-science education involving pre-service teachers. 

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2050

Office Hours:

Mondays/Wednesdays 2:00-3:00
Tuesdays 9:30-11:30
Thursdays 9:30-10:30

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Dr. Sara Jackson Shumate is a human geographer with teaching and research interests in sustainability studies, economic geography, political geography, and political ecology. Her research experience includes investigating how mining infrastructure development in Mongolia transforms livelihoods and landscapes. She also works with MSU Denver students to analyze sustainability practices in the Denver Metro Area.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
CN

Office Number:
314

Campus Box Number:
37

Bio:

Research

Mountain Geomorphology Climate Change Soils Rock glaciers Permafrost 

Education

PhD,  Geography,  University of Colorado at Boulder,  Boulder, CO,  2004.

MA,  Geography,  Indiana State University,  Terre Haute, IN,  2000.

BA,  Geography,  Minor: Mathematics,  Valparaiso University,  Valparaiso, IN,  Summa cum laude.  1997.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2025

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

Ph.D. with extensive experience providing project management, research and consulting services in geological, hydrogeological and environmental science. Accomplished educator of over 12 years in college and secondary classrooms

Teaching Philosophy

Applied & Practical Geology - moving students beyond theoretical knowledge to hands-on applications and work force readiness. Constantly incorporated into several upper division courses such as Hydrogeology & Mineralogy. Geologic Field Courses - National & International Excursions, putting into practice the old adage attributed to H.H. Read (Renowned British Geologist, 1889-1970): “The best geologist is the one who has seen the most rocks.” 

Research

Diatremes & Kimberlites· Heavy metal removal from drinking water Hot Springs & Natural Springs Geochemistry Water chemistry manipulation through EM frequencies

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2014

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Dr. Gabrielle Katz is a physical geographer, with research and teaching specialties in biogeography, hydrology, conservation and ecological restoration. Her research looks at how river hydrology affects floodplain ecosystems and how these relationships are influenced by water management, invasive species, and restoration actions.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2019

Office Hours:

Tuesdays-Thursdays 1:30-3:00 
Fridays, by appointment only 10:00-2:00

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

I am a Professor of Meteorology at MSU Denver. I received my M.S. in Atmospheric Science in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Meteorology from Saint Louis University in 2005. Follow me on Twitter @DocWX.

Teaching Philosophy

MSU Denver students come from many different academic and socio-economic backgrounds, which demand various pedagogical approaches to prepare them for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees. My educational philosophy is grounded into various pedagogical approaches aimed at empowering students to develop an effective analytical mindset, while becoming critical thinkers capable of finding solutions to challenging issues in Meteorology. 

Research

My research includes regional and local climate change along the Chilean Andes, initialization of mesoscale convective systems across Eastern Colorado, mesoscale snowband formation over the Midwest, and high-impact strong tornado events along the High Plains. 

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2050

Office Hours:

Mondays 9:30-12:00
Tuesdays 10:00-11:30 and 2:00-3:00

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Personal Biography

I hold a PhD in Forest and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. I have over 15 years of years of teaching experience and 10 years of research experience in ecology, earth science, and educational pedagogy.

Teaching Philosophy

My expertise is in environmental science and ecology, but I have a very broad background and am comfortable teaching classes in a variety of subject areas. Since beginning my work at MSU Denver in the fall of 2011, I have taught 12 different classes: Landscape Ecology, Mountain Environments, Food, Farms, and the Environment, Wetlands, Soil Resources, Environmental Field Studies, Introduction to Environmental Science, Oceanography, Integrated Natural Science, Integrated Earth Systems, Weather and Climate, and Physical Geography.

Research

Over the last three years, I have supervised numerous students conducting research projects on topics ranging from aquatic chemistry to plant community health and stability. In my discipline-specific research, I investigate large-scale ecological processes including biogeochemistry, plant community dynamics, and plant-soil interactions. I am also interested in K-12 teacher education and pedagogy. I am currently working on three research projects. 1) I am investigating carbon cycling in the alpine ecosystem in Rocky Mountain National Park. 2) I am assessing water quality in the South Platte River as it flows through the metro area. 3) I am working with faculty from the School of Education to assess K-12 teacher attitudes about writing in science.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2018

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Dr. Schuenemann is also the Director of General Studies

Ph.D. 2008 University of Colorado-Boulder, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

M.S. 2006 University of Colorado-Boulder, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

B.S. 2004 University of Wisconsin, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

Dr. Schuenemann teaches courses on weather and climate, climate change, synoptic meteorology, dynamic meteorology, integrated science, and research seminar. Many of her courses include intensive lab work. 

Dr. Schuenemann studies the large scale weather around the Greenland Ice Sheet, the effect of recent climate changes on these weather patterns, and the state of the ice sheet and its contribution to sea level rise. More recently, she is studying how Arctic sea ice extent affects mid-latitude weather patterns which are potentially responsible for recent droughts and cold air outbreaks. Dr. Schuenemann is also interested in the topic of communicating climate change, the misconceptions about climate change, and developing a pedagogy on teaching climate change based on current communicating climate change research. She is also passionate about promoting science literacy.  

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
2017

Office Hours:

Tuesdays/Thursdays 12:30-2:00
Fridays 12:30-2:30

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Professor Stella Todd studies change detection and the classification of biogeographical regions, as well as geovisualization of space and time.

Position Role:
Faculty

Office Number:
2020

Office Hours:

Mondays 2:00-3:00
Tuesdays 11:00-12:00
Thursdays 2:00-5:00

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Professor Rich Wagner is a MSU Denver President’s Award-winner and has been deeply involved in University life and in promoting Meteorology to students who lack access or are unfamiliar with opportunities in the field. He is active in the community promoting sustainability and authentic K-12 science education.

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Mike is an MSU Denver alumnus.  He also has his Master's Degree from the University of Colorado.  Mike is the Cheif Science Officer at Weather Cloud.  

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Part-Time Staff

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Office Number:
1029

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Bob used to be the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Boulder.  He also used to lead storm spotter training.  

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Office Location:
SI

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Scott is an alumnus of MSU Denver.  He also has both a Master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science.  Scott works full time at the National Center for Atmospheric Research where he does Aviation Weather and Polar Science.  He is our instrumentation expert.  You can read about his Antarctica adventures here:  https://icechaser.blogspot.com/.

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Chris is an MSU Denver graduate himself!  He also has a Master's degree from Mississippi State University.  When he's not teaching Weather and Climate or Broadcast Meteorology, he's a meteorologist for CBS in Denver.

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Bio:

Chris is an MSU Denver graduate himself!  He also has a Master's degree from Mississippi State University.  When he's not teaching Weather and Climate or Broadcast Meteorology, he's a meteorologist for CBS in Denver.

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22

Position Role:
Affiliate Faculty

Campus Box Number:
22