Dr. Lauren Michel
Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Tennessee Tech University
contact: lmichel [at] tntech.edu
B.S., Geology from The George Washington University, M.S., Geosciences from Southern Methodist University, Ph.D., Geosciences from Baylor University
Current Lab Members
E Vigil
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, B.S. Biology with a conc. in zoology, expected 2024
E’s senior thesis is looking at insect damage from the Cenozoic Claiborne Group from Tennessee.
D.J. Wharton
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, expected 2023
DJ’s senior thesis is a petrographic study the different generations of carbonate cements from paleosol carbonate nodules from the Carboniferous Pennington Formation.
Kat Hawkins
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, expected 2023
Kat’s senior thesis is a micromorphological study of thin sections from paleosol’s from the Carboniferous Maccrady Formation. Kat is documenting different types of burrowing structures seen in thin section.
Lab Alumni:
Ben Pavlic
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2022
Ben helped with the excavation of the Foster Rock Shelter site. He used micromorphology to examine land use within the cave system.
Currently:
Jackie Nix (nee Kreeger)
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2022
Jackie gathered stable isotope values for phyllosilicates from the Kiahera Formation on Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria. Her senior thesis was generously supported by a Creative Inquiry Summer Experience (CISE) Grant from Tennessee Tech.
Currently: PSI Intertek
Gabi Burke
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, expected 2023
Gabi researched effective communication strategy’s for climate change information to the general public. They are now working with Dr. Asante on a senior thesis.
Maggie Hobbs
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology
Maggie is constraining the level of diagenesis experienced by the paleosols of the Pennington Formation in Tennessee and Kentucky. Her research has been generously funded by a Creative Inquiry Summer Experience (CISE) Grant from Tennessee Tech.
Benjamin (Ben) Holladay
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2021
Ben’s senior thesis is determining the clay mineralogy of paleosol matrix from the Carboniferous Maccrady Formation. This research in in collaboration with the Smithsonian Museum of Nature and Washington & Lee University. Ben is an Honors Student in the Department of Earth Sciences.
currently: Field Geologist at Terracon
Sydney Knight
B.A. Fine Art, 2021
Sydney is working on creating an education board game about how Pollen is used in paleoclimate reconstruction. This project is co-directed with Dr. Steve Anton in Mechanical Engineering and Dr. George Chiteyo in Curriculum & Instruction. Her research has been supported by a URECA (Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry) Grant from Tennessee Tech. She is an Honors Student in the College of Fine Arts, majoring in Graphic Design.
Dillon Preston
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2021
Dillon’s senior thesis is determining the paleoclimate using paleosol from the Chinle Formation of Colorado. His research involves components of field work, clay mineralogy and micro morphology. Dillon’s research has been supported by a CISE grant from Tennessee Tech.
Salem Sullivan
(right in photo)
co-directed with Dr. David Beck
B.S., Biology, 2021
Salem is studying how temperature affects decomposition rates and styles for rabbits. Her research is funded by a Creative Inquiry Summer Experience (CISE) grant from Tennessee Tech.
Currently: Graduate student at Duke University
Heather Vineyard
co-advised with H. Wayne Leimer
B.S., Geoscience with a conc. in Geology, 2021.
Heather’s senior thesis is to determine the clay mineralogy of the paleosol matrix for the Kiahera Formation, Rusinga Island Kenya. Heather is determining the mineralogy for both the <0.2µm and <0.02µm e.s.d. size fraction. She will use this information to determine the suitability of the samples for stable isotope analysis of the paleosol matrix.
Currently: Smithsonian Institution
M. Jace Bolix
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2020
Reconstructing the Late Mississippian Paleoclimate: Stratigraphy and XRD Analysis of the Pennington Formation, Sparta, Tennessee
field assistants : Dillon Preston and Riley Grecol
Austin Mundy
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2020
Dendrochronological Study of Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) from the Campground at Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee
Kimberly Cheng
middle with her field crew on Rusinga
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2019
Using Fossilized Evidence to Reconstruct the Past on Rusinga Island, Kenya
Hunter Summers (co-advised with H. Wayne Leimer)
B.S., Geosciences with a conc. in Geology, 2019
Clay Mineral Analysis through X-Ray Diffraction of Paleosols in the Kiahera Formation, Rusinga Island, Kenya
currently: Environmental Engineer at Nucor Steel
Rachel Chan
B.S., Biochemistry with a double minor in Biology and Geosciences, 2019
Reconstructing paleo-PCO2 from the Perms-Carboniferous Abo and Bursum formations, New Mexico
Currently: Ranger and Scientist working with public lands
Kayla Hillis
B.S., Geosciences with a conc in Geology, in Cursu Honorum, Magna Cum Laude, 2018
Paleoclimate reconstruction from pedogenic carbonate from the early Miocene Wayando Formation, Mfangano Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya and the impact on early ape evolution
currently: Staff Geologists at Barge Design Solutions, Inc.
R. Morgan Wright
B.S., Geology with a conc. in Environmental Geology, 2018
Dendrochronological Study of Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) from Window Cliffs and Frozen Head State Parks, Tennessee.
currently at: Grower’s Solution
Lab Mascot
Kate the Great
Kate is the Paleoclimatel Reconstructions from Paleosols (PREP) Lab Mascot. She loves being outside and is interested in stable isotope and XRD analysis. She thinks soils and paleosols are pretty fun.