Julia Cisneros

Julia Cisneros is an Assistant Professor of Earth Surface Processes at Virginia Tech's Department of Geosciences (College of Science). Her research focuses on bridging bedform formation dynamics across environments, employing fieldwork, experiments, and modeling. She holds a PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2021) and a BS from Texas A&M University (2015). Her work emphasizes links between flow, sediment transport, and bedform evolution to improve environmental management, particularly in climate change contexts.

Education:

• PhD in Geology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2021)
• BS in Geology, Texas A&M University (2015)

Research Interests: Fluvial and aeolian geomorphology, sediment transport, bedform morphodynamics, and environmental applications. She leads the Bedform Dynamics Lab, investigating dunes in rivers, deserts, and lakes. Her tools include bedform analysis techniques, numerical modeling (e.g., Delft3D), and open-access methodologies.

Publications: Recent work includes studies on dune lee side dynamics, anthropogenic bedforms, and DEI challenges in geosciences. Key themes involve flow-turbulence interactions, sediment extraction impacts, and institutional barriers to diversity.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Bedform Dynamics Lab at Virginia Tech, advancing open-source tools like the Bedform Analysis Toolbox. Active in DEI initiatives, co-authoring frameworks to address geoscience disinvestment.