Alex Pullen

Dr. Alex Pullen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University. He holds a Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Arizona (2010), an M.S. in Geosciences (2006), and a B.A. in Economics (1999). His research focuses on structural geology, sedimentology, and geochronology, with an emphasis on continental tectonics, orogenic systems, and Earth surface processes. Dr. Pullen's work integrates field-based geologic mapping, stratigraphic analysis, and U-Th-Pb geochronology to study mountain building, aridification, and eolian dynamics.

His teaching includes courses on structural geology, sedimentology, and paleoclimatology. He has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, including doctoral graduates Alessandro Giuffrida and Gavin Gleasman, and Master’s students Julia Corradino and Cody McMechen. Dr. Pullen is a recipient of the Exceptional Reviewer Award from GSA Bulletin (2018) and the Peter Coney Fellowship (2009).

His research projects span global collaborations, including studies of the Tibetan Plateau, the Hami Basin in China, and South American loess deposits. Key grants include NSF funding for projects on dust production pathways and landscape evolution. Dr. Pullen’s work bridges tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic processes, contributing to our understanding of how landscapes respond to long-term environmental changes.