Dr. Andrea Erhardt, Principal Investigator

I have applied geochemical techniques to a range of paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic questions. As such, I have worked in a range of trace element and isotope systems, including lead, calcium, strontium, molybdenum, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.  My current interests involve carbonate diagenesis and high resolution analysis of carbonate chemistry through laser ablation and microprobe studies.

Outside of work I am an avid Green Bay Packers fan, have season tickets to Kentucky basketball, and have lunch with the PI of the Erhardt Transport Lab on Fridays.

Dr. Aaron Shultis, Research Facility Manager

Aaron brings over 15 years of experience in isotope geochemistry to the lab, with expertise in nitrate, phosphate, and a wide range of inorganic isotope system.

Elizabeth Avery

I received an M.S. from California State University, East Bay in 2013. The focus of my research there was using natural and introduced tracers to explore surface water – groundwater interaction in the Sierra Nevada.

In the fall of 2017, I entered the PhD program in Earth and Environmental Sciences at University of Kentucky. My current research is multi-faceted. I am currently a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine measuring water isotopes in precipitation and tap water. Additionally, I am using water chemistry and isotopes to understand how stream restoration impacts hyporheic zone processes.

During my free time, I enjoy traveling and volunteering with animal rescue organizations.

Alex Reis

My geoscience experience has focused primarily on paleoceanography and sedimentary geochemistry. My interest in the subject stems from my time as a student lab assistant and laboratory manager in the Fisk Laboratory of Sedimentology at the University of Cincinnati. Through this position, I was able to analyze and interpret several data sets from around the globe, primarily focusing on the Permian-Triassic Boundary in East Greenland and the Late Pennsylvanian Mid-continent Sea in Kansas and Iowa.

Following my graduation and a year working as an environmental consultant, I have returned to the field of paleoceanography, this time honing in on the Midland Basin.  My Masters work used stable isotopes and bulk rock geochemistry to understand the processes leading to dolomitization in the Wolfcamp Formation.

Currently, I am a member of the IODP Expedition 378 to the South Pacific and will be using calcium, strontium, and sulfur isotopes to understand pore water diagenesis processes.

April Collins

I’m currently a second year student at the University of Kentucky aiming to get a bachelor of science in chemistry. I’m also a lab assistant for the Kentucky Stable Isotope Geochemistry Lab. My responsibilities as a lab assistant include weighing samples and helping the graduate students with their research. I’m very excited to continue working here for the rest of my college career. After graduating I hope to continue my education and receive a master’s degree in chemistry and eventually find a nice lab to work in. 

In my free time you can usually find me exploring different cultures, reading, or browsing the web.

Felicity Shirkey

I am a second-year Geology major who is heavily involved in the Backpacking, Horticulture, and Women's Rugby clubs at UK. I am happy to be a lab assistant here at KSIGL and look forward to my involvement in our part of a nationwide study of tapwater isotopes!

I have done research in plant and environmental science here at UK and look forward to continuing my involvement in Earth and Environmental Science.

Bronston McQueen

I am currently a senior working towards a B.S. in geology here at UK. My interests include hydrogeophysics and hydrology. I am an undergraduate research assistant for the Kentucky Stable Isotope and Geochemistry lab as well as an undergraduate research student. In the lab, some of my responsibilities include preparation and weighing of samples for isotopic analysis, aiding in graduate student research, milling standards and samples, and other various tasks around the lab. I look forward to learning how the lab instruments run during the rest of my time here. 

Jen Whitney

I am currently a Junior at University of Kentucky where I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Geology. I am very interested in paleobiology, paleoceanography and hydrology and would like to find a way to apply my degree towards these interests. I am currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant for the Stable Isotope Geochemical Laboratory on campus and find my work here to be fascinating. I am a nontraditional student and I hope to use my life experiences in a way that will benefit the lab and my work on my future projects.

The three loves of my life are my two boys and Geology! I have traveled quite extensively with them and have made sure that we explore, learn together, dig in the mud to look for cool rocks or fossils, and google things that none of us have ever seen before.

I am very excited for my future in geology and am looking forward to what it has in store for me!

Blanca Aleman

Hi there! I’m a currently a third-year student studying Chemistry with a Biochemistry option here at the University of Kentucky. I’m a proud active member of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., Latino Student Union, and now the Kentucky Stable Isotope Geochemistry Lab team! Currently, I’m a lab assistant who helps prepare samples for isotopic analysis and graduate students with their research. Working here at the lab truly inspires me to continuously learn about the roles of chemistry in many types research after graduation. I’m so happy to be apart of a supportive team and I look forward to continuing my involvement with Earth and Environmental Sciences throughout my time here!

Michele McHugh

I am currently a third-year undergraduate at the University of Kentucky seeking a degree in Geological Sciences and Digital Mapping and GIS.  I am a non-traditional student with a background in Environmental Sciences and hope to combine these disciplines in my career. 

I am very interested in anything outdoors, from hiking in the mountains to walking along the beach.  I am passionate about these environments and hope to one day work in a job where I can help to restore our natural space.  I’m excited to learn everything I can at KSIGL and take these experiences with me to my next destination. 

Dr. Vanessa Fichtner, Postdoctoral Researcher 2018-2020

After receiving my Diploma degree (Dipl. Geol.) at University of Cologne, Germany, in October 2012, I started my PhD studies in Münster, Germany, in the work group for Historical Geology supervised by Prof. Harald Strauss and Prof. Adrian Immenhauser. In July 2017, I defended my PhD thesis (Dr. rer. nat.) with magna cum laude.

My research focuses on the development and application of stable sulfur isotopes in carbonates as proxy for paleoenvironmental conditions and tracer for diagenetic processes. To get a detailed picture about sulfur in the rock samples, I use different wet-chemical extraction techniques in combination with non-destructive methods.

I am fascinated by the interplay of biological and geological processes that have been shaping the Earth’s face for more than 3.5 Ga and I enjoy imaging how Earth might have looked like during its past epochs.

In my free time, I use my imagination to roam through the world of drama and poetry.

Eva Lyon, co-advised PhD Graduate 2020

My research makes use of geochemical and physical analyses of sedimentary records to discern climatic and environmental change at various temporal and regional scales. My current project explores late Holocene paleoproductivity and hydroclimatic changes of the Eastern Sierra Nevada region using the sedimentary record of June Lake, CA. My prior work as a Lecturer in Geology at Concord University was perhaps the greatest driving factor in my decision to pursue a PhD. As such, after completing my dissertation at UK, I hope to earn a faculty position that allows me to both teach and mentor undergraduate research.

I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Washington and Lee University.

Cris Alvarez Villa, MS Graduate 2020

I earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At UIUC, I researched and worked in the development of a method to determine the stable chlorine isotopic composition of samples with low-Cl-abundance.

I am interested in aqueous geochemistry, hydrogeology and their applications to environmental issues. The aim of my research project at UK will be to evaluate methane in groundwater in relation to oil and gas production and various geochemical conditions in Eastern Kentucky.

I also enjoy traveling, hiking and playing tennis.

Jon Wilson, MS Graduate 2020

My research experience and interests are based in hydrology and hydrogeology using stable carbon isotopes to understand various environmental processes. I received my B.S. in geology from the University of Kentucky in 2018 and continued my studies entering a M.S. program in 2019. My masters research uses stable carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, soil organic matter, and carbonates as well as fluorescence of dissolved organic matter to characterize water flow paths and recharge areas in springs of the Shivwits Plateau in Grand Canyon National Park. In my undergraduate research, I studied variation in stable carbon isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon in mussel shells and surficial waters of the Licking River in Eastern Kentucky and variability of pore-water geochemistry across a backwater wetland in an Appalachian watershed in West Virginia. I enjoy method development in the lab and co-running the Gasbench GC-IRMS system for my samples as well as others.

Frank Tamakloe MS Graduate, 2019

Now at Chevron Research Laboratories

I graduated from the College of William and Mary in the summer of 2015. At the College, I studied Geology with a minor in Mathematics. Upon graduation, I accepted a Post-Baccalaureate Intern position at Los Alamos National Laboratory. There, I worked as part of a Geochemistry Group where I helped to characterize a Chromium Plume using particle size analysis and various geochemical methods.

I'm excited to be here at UK. My research interests lie primarily in paleoclimate, sedimentology, and sequence stratigraphy. I will be using high resolution chemostratigraphic analysis to reconstruct the conditions that led to the deposition of the Wolfcamp D in the Midland Basin. I will be focused on the late Pennsylvanian to early Permian timeframe and the cyclothems present in the Wolfcamp Formation. 

In addition to my academic interests, I am also a passionate college football fan. Go Badgers, Roll Tribe!

Dr. Maggie Sanders -Postdoctoral Researcher

Now at the USGS- Reston

I completed my B.S. in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Environmental Science at UCLA in 2006.  I then received both an M.S. (2012) and Ph.D. (2017) from Southern Illinois University in Geology and Geoscience. During my time at SIU, I worked as a geochemistry/organic petrography intern for Shell, BP, and Conoco Phillips.

My research experience includes organic petrography and geochemistry studies of coal, coke, and organic-rich shale. My current interests include coal from the Permian-Triassic boundary in Antarctica, oil shale processing techniques, and organic-rich shale from the Permian Basin in Texas.