Mark Bateman is Professor in Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction at the University of Sheffield's School of Geography and Planning, where he has held positions since 1998 (Lecturer to Professor). He directs the Sheffield Luminescence Dating Laboratory and leads research on Quaternary environmental change, glacial systems, and coastal dynamics. His work integrates geomorphology, sedimentology, and advanced dating techniques to understand past climate impacts. Education includes a First Class BSc in Geography (University of London, 1991) and DPhil from Sussex University (1995). Research focuses on three core themes: (1) Past glacial and periglacial landscapes, (2) Aeolian activity in deserts/coasts, and (3) Innovations in luminescence dating. His projects span the British-Irish Ice Sheet, Mekong Delta evolution, and West African paleoenvironments. Publications emphasize methodological advances in geochronology (portable luminescence readers, ESR-OSL comparisons) and reconstructing ice sheet dynamics, tsunami impacts, and dune system responses to climate. Trends include high-resolution glacial chronologies, coastal vulnerability studies, and integrating archaeological contexts with sedimentary records. Awards include the Sorby Medal (Yorkshire Geological Society, 2018) for contributions to Yorkshire geology. He has supervised numerous PhD students and secured funding from NERC, Leverhulme Trust, and National Geographic. Leads the Britice Chrono consortium and collaborates globally on ice sheet modeling and landscape evolution projects.
Luigi Bruno is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. His research focuses on stratigraphic geology, sedimentology, and Quaternary depositional systems with particular emphasis on the Po Basin and Adriatic coastal regions. He teaches graduate courses including Stratigraphic Geology and Geological Maps and Geological Surveying , emphasizing field methods and geomorphological interpretation. His studies integrate sedimentology, geochemistry, and stratigraphic analysis to investigate fluvial-coastal interactions, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and anthropogenic impacts. Key contributions include: Quantifying Holocene subsidence patterns through 3D geological modeling Reconstructing Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary architecture using multi-proxy data Documenting climate-driven shifts in sediment provenance and pedogenesis Recent work highlights the role of glacio-eustatic cycles in shaping deltaic systems and the importance of tectonic activity in subsurface deformation. His research has practical applications in geohazard assessment, land-use planning, and subsurface resource management.
Dr. Tom Bradwell is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of Stirling's Biological and Environmental Sciences department. His research focuses on Quaternary geology and geomorphology, specializing in reconstructing ice-sheet and sea-level changes using geophysical and dating methods. He collaborates internationally on projects like the BRITICE-CHRONO initiative, advancing understanding of ice dynamics and environmental evolution. Key areas include Scottish coastal and continental shelf geomorphology, glacial history, and offshore carbon sequestration. Education: PhD (University of Edinburgh, 2001), BSc (University of Liverpool, 1997). Professional roles include Honorary Research Fellow at the British Geological Survey and editorial positions with Geografiska Annaler and the Scottish Geographical Journal . Awards include the Clough Memorial Award and Lewis Penny Medal. Research Themes: Ice-sheet dynamics, sea-level reconstruction, Quaternary dating techniques. Current Students: Supervising PhD projects on rapid deglaciation (Ania Kurop), glacier dynamics (Jodie Geldard), and glaciomarine sediments (Neil McDonald). Grants: NERC-IAPETUS2 funding for student projects. Labs/Teams: Involved in Quaternary Science & Palaeo-environments research groups at the University of Stirling.
Alessio Rovere is a Full Professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, specializing in Physical Geography and Geomorphology within the Department of Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Statistics. He leads the Laboratory Supervisor role at the Research Institute for Complexity Safety. His research focuses on past sea level changes, coastal geomorphology, and the impacts of climate change on coastal environments. Rovere holds an ERC Starting Grant (2018) for his WARMCOASTS project investigating sea level and extreme waves during the Last Interglacial. Education includes a Ph.D. in Marine Science (2010) and earlier degrees from the University of Genoa. He has held academic and research roles globally, including at Columbia University and MARUM in Bremen. Teaching includes courses like Coastal Geological Processes and Risks (Master’s) and Physical Geography modules (Bachelor’s). Research interests span sea-level reconstruction using geophysical models, coral reef dynamics, and storm surge analysis in warming climates. He supervises students across Ph.D., Master’s, and postdoc levels. Key achievements include developing the World Atlas of Last Interglacial Shorelines (WALIS) and advancing methodologies in drone photogrammetry for coastal topography. His work bridges geology, climatology, and environmental policy, with a focus on interdisciplinary solutions for coastal resilience.
Dr. Philip Minderhoud is an Assistant Professor at Wageningen University & Research and a Veni laureate, specializing in coastal-deltaic environmental change with a focus on land subsidence and relative sea-level rise. He holds affiliations at the University of Padova (former Marie Curie Fellow) and advises Deltares. His research spans global deltas including the Mekong, Irrawaddy, Mississippi, and West African coasts, emphasizing subsidence drivers, numerical modeling, and policy engagement. He co-founded the International Panel on Land Subsidence (IPLS) to integrate global subsidence data into IPCC projections. Dr. Minderhoud teaches BSc/MSc courses on geology, coastal oceanography, and field geosciences in Spain. His work bridges academia and practice through collaborations with governments, NGOs, and industry to develop mitigation strategies against subsidence-driven risks. Education: PhD in delta land subsidence through the Dutch-Vietnamese Rise and Fall project. Research Focus: Combines geomorphology, hydrogeology, and remote sensing to understand subsidence mechanisms. Current projects include the 3MAP initiative and the InSPiRED EU project. Key regions studied: Vietnam, Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria, Italy, and the USA. Awards: Veni laureate (Netherlands), EU Marie Curie Fellowship. Impact: Advocates for science-informed groundwater management and delta sustainability, contributing to policy frameworks through IPLS and direct engagement with policymakers.
Dr. Andrew Kemp is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences at Tufts University and currently serves as the Interim Director of Environmental Studies. His research focuses on reconstructing relative sea-level changes over the past 2000 years using interdisciplinary methods such as coastal stratigraphy, geochemical proxies, and advanced dating techniques. His work aims to understand sea-level responses to historical climate events like the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age, providing critical data for IPCC climate projections and coastal management strategies. Dr. Kemp holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania (2009) and a BSc from Durham University (2002). His research emphasizes the interplay between physical processes driving sea-level changes and the societal implications of future projections. He collaborates globally, with recent studies in locations like Newfoundland, Florida, and Remote Oceania, addressing regional sea-level variability and subsidence dynamics. His key contributions include statistical modeling frameworks for sea-level trends, replication of regional sea-level histories, and assessments of coastal vulnerability under climate change scenarios. Kemp's work bridges geology, climatology, and policy, with implications for urban resilience and environmental conservation.
Dr Tim Daley is an Associate Professor of Physical Geography and Associate Head of School for Strategy at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Plymouth). He specializes in climate science, sustainability, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. His roles include Admissions Tutor for Environmental Programmes and former Deputy Director of the Sustainable Earth Institute (SEI), a cross-faculty research institute. His teaching spans modules on climate change, environmental science, and policy across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Research Interests: Climate system dynamics and Holocene environmental change Paleoclimatic reconstruction using peatlands, isotopes, and sediment archives Sea-level change and ocean-land interactions Anthropogenic environmental impacts and sustainability strategies Articles Trends: Recent work focuses on Holocene climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere, sea-level reconstructions in the South Atlantic, and the ecological consequences of land-use changes. Key themes include integrating paleo-proxy data with modern observations to understand climatic tipping points and human-environment interactions. Scientific Awards: None explicitly mentioned in the texts. Advising & Grants: Supervised 4 PhD completions (Jasper Newman, Thomas Newton, Havananda Ombashi, Emma Rice) and 2 MRes students. Collaborates with initiatives like Agri-Tech Cornwall to advance agricultural sustainability. Labs/Teams: Active in the Sustainable Earth Institute and leads interdisciplinary climate research teams at the University of Plymouth.
Natalya Gomez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Geodynamics of Ice Sheet-Sea Level Interactions. She is affiliated with the Trottier Space Institute and conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of geophysics and climate science. Her research examines ice sheet-sea level-solid Earth interactions in response to past, present, and future climate changes. Primary interests include Antarctic ice dynamics, glacial isostatic adjustment, sea level projections, and coupled Earth system modeling. She develops numerical models to understand feedback mechanisms between cryospheric, oceanic, and geodynamic processes. Publications demonstrate consistent focus on polar processes, with recent advances in 3D mantle viscosity modeling, ice-ocean interactions, and coastal vulnerability assessment. Article trends reveal methodological innovations in satellite geodesy, paleoclimate reconstructions, and ensemble modeling approaches. Scientific Awards & Honors: Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship (NSERC, 2024) IUGG Early Career Scientist Award (2023) AGU Cryosphere Early Career Award (2019) Current research involves international collaborations including the ISMIP7 model intercomparison project for IPCC AR7. She leads significant fieldwork programs in Greenland and supervises multiple graduate students on projects ranging from exoplanet ice dynamics to coastal infrastructure vulnerability.
Beverly J. Johnson is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences and Department Chair at Bates College. Her research focuses on biogeochemical processes in coastal ecosystems, particularly carbon cycling in salt marshes as a climate change mitigation strategy. She specializes in stable isotope analysis to study environmental changes across timescales, including ancient fish diets, salt marsh sediment histories, and Gulf of Maine paleoceanography. Johnson leads projects funded by organizations like the Maine Climate Council and the Blue Carbon Initiative. Her work includes measuring methane emissions, carbon sequestration, and tidal restriction impacts in salt marshes, alongside community-driven restoration efforts. She collaborates on SMARTeams workshops to enhance small-scale restoration capacities. Teaching spans introductory courses (e.g., Earth’s Climate System) to advanced topics like Stable Isotope Geochemistry. She integrates student research into curricula, with projects often centered on salt marsh biogeochemistry. Johnson also participates in interdisciplinary initiatives like the Maine Blue Carbon Network and the Androscoggin River water quality reconstruction effort. Her publications highlight coastal blue carbon stocks, ozone dynamics, and Arctic food web studies, reflecting her expertise in linking field data with isotopic and modeling approaches. Collaborations span institutions globally, addressing both local and large-scale environmental challenges.
Dr. David Small is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Durham University, specializing in reconstructing past ice sheet behavior using geochronological techniques. His research examines how Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets responded to historical climate change, with a focus on deglaciation timing, ice dynamics, and paleoclimate implications. He employs cosmogenic nuclide dating and glacial geomorphology to constrain ice-thinning rates and retreat patterns. Research Interests : Dr. Small's work integrates field data, geochronology, and ice-sheet modeling to address critical questions about cryosphere-climate feedbacks. Key themes include: Antarctic Ice Sheet stability during past warm periods Topographic controls on marine-based ice streams Glacial isostatic adjustment effects on exposure dating Deglaciation chronology of the British-Irish Ice Sheet Publication Trends : His recent articles (2019–2025) demonstrate a strong focus on Antarctic and North Atlantic ice sheet dynamics, utilizing advanced geochronological methods (cosmogenic nuclides, luminescence) and cross-validating models with geological evidence. Recurring themes include ice-retreat mechanisms, sea-level interactions, and refining deglaciation timelines. Awards : NERC Independent Research Fellowship for investigating Antarctic Ice Sheet stability Supervision & Labs : Dr. Small currently advises two MRes students (Katie Meddins, Tom Bartles-Smith) and collaborates with international consortia like BRITICE-CHRONO. His fieldwork involves Antarctic subglacial drilling campaigns and geomorphological mapping in polar regions.
Frederick W. Taylor is a Senior Research Scientist Emeritus at the Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on Quaternary and contemporary crustal motions in the Southwest Pacific, utilizing coral reefs to study tectonic deformation and sea-level changes. Key areas include the Solomon Islands megathrust zone and climate-driven sea-level anomalies in the tropical Pacific. His work integrates geodetic data (GPS, SAR) with coral microatoll analysis to explore tectonic processes, including earthquake cycles and long-term vertical deformation. He also investigates Holocene sea-level trends and ENSO variability through coral geochemical records. Taylor collaborates globally, particularly in the Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu, leveraging coral archives to reconstruct climate and tectonic histories. Recent studies highlight the interplay between short-term elastic deformation and long-term tectonic uplift in forearc regions. His publications span 40+ years, addressing topics like subduction zone segmentation, paleoseismic events, and climate model-proxy comparisons for ENSO dynamics. Taylor's affiliations include the Bureau of Economic Geology and interdisciplinary collaborations within the Jackson School. His research contributes to understanding natural hazards like earthquakes and sea-level rise, bridging geophysics, paleoclimatology, and geology.
Brent Ward is a Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University and serves as Co-director of the Centre for Natural Hazards Research. His academic career is deeply rooted in Quaternary geology with a focus on understanding glacial history and paleoenvironmental changes in western North America. Ward received his B.Sc. (Hons.) in 1986 and Ph.D. in 1993, both from the University of Alberta. His educational background provided the foundation for his specialization in field-based Quaternary geology. Dr. Ward is a classical, field-based Quaternary geologist whose research interests span sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleoenvironmental reconstructions, surficial mapping, drift prospecting, and landslides. His current research primarily focuses on resolving aspects of the stratigraphy of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet and associated paleoenvironmental reconstructions. This interdisciplinary work requires collaborations with researchers across various fields and combines stratigraphic studies with plant and insect macrofossil and palynological analysis to reconstruct paleoenvironments and paleoclimate. A particularly innovative aspect of his research involves work on raised sea caves—the only such work being done in North America—which provides direct information to solve questions of glacial history and past fauna and climate. His research has significant implications for understanding potential human coastal migrations during the Late Wisconsinan period. Analysis of Ward's recent publications reveals a strong focus on Cordilleran Ice Sheet history, landslide mechanics, and glacial sedimentology. His work bridges traditional field geology with modern analytical techniques including cosmogenic nuclide dating, LiDAR analysis, and geospatial modeling. The research spans multiple geographic areas including British Columbia, Yukon, and the Canadian Arctic, addressing both fundamental scientific questions and practical applications in mineral exploration and hazard assessment. The Westerman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Geoscience EGBC (2023) APEG Fellowship APEGBC (2013) Engineers Canada Fellowship Engineers Canada (2009) Victor Milligan Paper Award Canadian Geotechnical Society (2010) Barlow Memorial Medal Canadian Institute for Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (2009) Ward actively supervises graduate students, with recent projects examining the glacial history of the Ruby Range in southwest Yukon and the effects of deglacial meltwater processes on kimberlite indicator mineral concentrations. His research has secured significant funding for field investigations and laboratory analyses, supporting both fundamental research and practical applications in natural hazard assessment and mineral exploration. He has developed strong collaborative relationships with government geological surveys, industry partners, and international research teams. As Co-director of the Centre for Natural Hazards Research, Ward leads interdisciplinary teams investigating geological hazards including landslides, glacial lake outburst floods, and seismic risks. His work integrates field observations with numerical modeling to improve hazard assessment and risk management in mountainous terrain. The Centre maintains strong connections with emergency management agencies and industry partners to ensure research findings translate into practical risk reduction strategies.
Alex Simms is a Professor of Earth Science at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). He holds a BS from Oklahoma State University and a PhD from Rice University, where his thesis focused on Texas Gulf Coast depositional systems. His research centers on Quaternary sea-level changes, shallow marine sedimentology, and coastal evolution, with fieldwork conducted globally, including Antarctica, California, and the UK. Education: Bachelor of Science in Geology, Oklahoma State University Doctor of Philosophy in Geology, Rice University Research Interests: Dr. Simms investigates processes shaping coastal and marine environments, particularly reconstructing sea-level histories to understand ice sheet dynamics and climate change. His work integrates sedimentological analysis, geochronology, and geomorphological observations. Key focus areas include: Antarctic raised beaches and glacial retreat Hyperpycnal sediment delivery to continental shelves Coastal responses to rapid sea-level rise Estuarine sedimentation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction Advising & Grants: Current advisees include Claire Divola, Elisa Medri, Lauren Mumby, Trap Puckette, and Emily Huffman. Past students include Ryan Owings. His research has been supported by grants focusing on Antarctic field studies, coastal geohazards, and sediment dynamics. Labs & Teams: A core member of UCSB's Coastal and Sedimentology Research Group, which employs field and lab techniques to study coastal systems. Active projects include Southern California marsh evolution, Santa Barbara Channel hyperpycnal fans, and global sea-level reconstructions.
Reide Corbett is a Professor in the Department of Coastal Studies, Dean of Integrated Coastal Programs, and Executive Director of the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) at East Carolina University (ECU). His work bridges coastal oceanography and geochemistry, focusing on submarine groundwater discharge, sediment dynamics, and climate-human impacts on coastal zones. Based at ECU's Outer Banks campus, Corbett leads interdisciplinary research addressing coastal hazards, nutrient cycling, and geomorphic evolution. Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography (Geochemistry), Florida State University (1999) M.S. in Chemical Oceanography (Geochemistry), Florida State University (1996) B.S. in Chemistry, Florida State University (1994) His research spans coastal biogeochemical processes , sea-level rise adaptation , and submarine groundwater discharge quantification . Recent projects include NSF-funded studies on virtual coastal community resilience (C2-Virtual-C) and coastal adaptation networks (C-CoAST), alongside USACE and USFWS grants assessing beach nourishment impacts at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Publication Trends reveal expertise in: Coastal sedimentation rates and paleoenvironmental reconstruction Storm-driven ecosystem disruptions and microbial community responses Geochemical tracers (radionuclides, bromine) for environmental change detection Coastal hazard vulnerability assessments (AMBUR-HVA tool) Multi-decadal shoreline erosion and barrier island evolution
Larry Ward is an Associate Research Professor at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of New Hampshire, with affiliations to the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory . He holds a Ph.D. in Marine Technology (1978) from the University of South Carolina and a B.A. in Earth Sciences from the University of New Hampshire. Teaching: Geological oceanography, seafloor characterization, and coastal sedimentology Research: Coastal and inner shelf sedimentology, sea level change impacts, lidar-based seafloor mapping Grants: 26 funded projects from 1991-2024, including NOAA and US DOI collaborations His publications focus on coastal geomorphology , lidar applications , and sediment dynamics , with work spanning from storm sediment transport to delta system sustainability . Collaborators include John Hughes Clarke and Yuri Rzhanov.
