Dave Moecher

Dave Moecher is a Professor at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, specializing in petrotectonics. He serves as the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, focusing on tectonic history and geological processes at grain-to-terrace scales. His work integrates petrology, geochemistry, and structural geology with advanced analytical tools like electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy.

• Education: Ph.D. in Geology (University of Michigan, 1988), M.S. in Geology (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1984), B.S. in Geology (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1979).

His research leverages field-based studies of the Appalachian-Caledonian and Grenville orogens, utilizing the CAMECA SX50 electron probe microanalyzer and JEOL scanning electron microscope. He teaches igneous and metamorphic petrology, isotope geochemistry, and organizes regional field trips.

Professor Moecher is actively engaged in undergraduate education and alumni relations. His lab employs advanced imaging techniques for zircon growth zoning and high-resolution structural analysis. Personal interests include cycling in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky.