Bruce Finney

Bruce Finney is a Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Geosciences at Idaho State University (ISU). He holds a B.S. in Geology from the University of Minnesota (1979) and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Oregon State University (1986). Previously, he was a Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Institute of Marine Science (1991–2007). His research focuses on paleoclimatic history of the North Pacific region, with emphasis on Holocene climate dynamics, stable isotope analysis, and ecosystem responses to environmental change. He leads the ISU Stable Isotope Laboratory, part of the Center for Archaeology, Materials, and Applied Spectroscopy (CAMAS), supporting interdisciplinary research and teaching.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Oceanography, Oregon State University, 1986
• B.S. in Geology, University of Minnesota, 1979
• Postdoctoral research at Duke University (paleoclimatic studies of East African rift-valley lakes)

Research Interests:

• Climatic Change and Paleoclimatology
• Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry
• Aquatic and Terrestrial Paleoecology
• North Pacific Ecosystem Dynamics
• Salmon Population History and Human Impacts

His work integrates stable isotope techniques to reconstruct past environmental conditions, with applications to fisheries management, climate modeling, and understanding anthropogenic nitrogen inputs.

Lab and Teaching:

• Director of the ISU Stable Isotope Laboratory (Physical Sciences 350)
• Teaches graduate courses on stable isotopes in environmental research, proposal writing, and climatic change

Grants and Collaboration: Active in interdisciplinary projects involving limnology, archaeology, and climate science, often supported by NSF and other federal grants.

Labs/Teams:

• Center for Archaeology, Materials, and Applied Spectroscopy (CAMAS)
• Partnerships with marine and terrestrial ecologists, geochemists, and policymakers