OUR AMAZING TEAM!!
Trish Gregg
Professor, Principal Investigator
I believe that teamwork and collaboration are incredibly important. Working as a member of a team to solve challenging problems is what makes science fun for me. I’m incredibly fortunate to work with outstanding young scientists who have inspired my science and thinking immeasurably. These amazing students and postdocs are outstanding in scholarship, citizenship, and teamwork. They make my research group what it is, and are why I am so excited to go to campus and do science every day.
LAB MANAGER
Roo Dandelion Tookins, “Roo”
Goodest Girl
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy
AKC Canine Good Citizen
AKC Therapy Dog Novice (in training)
Research Areas:
-
- Babydoll Eyes (๑⚈ ․̫ ⚈๑)
- Charm
- Play Rough ૮₍´｡ᵔ ꈊ ᵔ｡`₎ა
- Let’s Snuggle Forever
- Sweet Kiss
- Assist (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡
LAB SUPURRVISORS 🐾
Adventure Kitty
The Empath
Evil Genius
RESEARCH FACULTY
J. Cory Pettijohn, Ph.D.
Director, Environmental and Engineering Geology Graduate Programs
Research Associate Professor, Teaching Associate Professor
B.S. Geological Engineering, University of Missouri – Rolla (now Missouri S&T)
Ph.D. Earth Sciences, Boston University
Email: jcpettij@illinois.edu
Research Areas:
- Environmental & Engineering Geology
- Land-Atmosphere Ecohydrology
- Statistical Data Assimilation and Kalman Filter Approaches
- Professional Education Pedagogy
CURRENT STUDENTS
Riley Balikian
Ph.D. Candidate
Geophysicist & Hydrogeologist, Illinois State Geologic Survey
B.S. Physics: Geophysics, Minor: Spanish, Wheaton College
M.S. Environment and Resources, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Email: balikian@illinois.edu
Research Areas:
- Hazard mitigation
- Lake shore sediment migration
- Urban & Regional Planning
- Ambient noise seismology
Alexcia “Lexie” Dunn
Ph.D. Candidate
ARCS Foundation Scholar
Illinois Graduate College Fellow
ESEC Dept. Fellow
B.S. Environmental Sciences, Valdosta State University
Email: alexcia2@illinois.edu
Research Areas:
- Rock mechanics
- Ductile failure and fatigue
- Experimental rheology & petrology
- Eruption triggering mechanisms
- Large silicic volcanoes (Yellowstone: Lava Creek Tuff; Long Valley: Bishop Tuff)
Hayley Woodrich
co-Advisor: Ross Maguire
Ph.D. Student
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
ESEC Dept. Fellow
M.S. Geology, University of Illinois
B.S. Geology, University of Illinois
Email: hwoodr2@illinois.edu
Research Areas:
- Machine learning for updating seismic catalogs
- Seismic swarms of Yellowstone
- Large silicic systems
- Rheology of large magma systems
Carla Farris
Ph.D. Student
ESEC Dept. Fellow
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
B.S. Physics, The College of New Jersey
Email: cmf8@illinois.edu
Research Areas:
- Machine learning & AI development
- Finite Element Methods
- Data assimilation & forecasting
- Volcano eruption triggering mechanisms
ALUMNI
Graduate Alumni
Yuyu Li, Ph.D. 2026
B.S. Geology, Ohio State University
M.S. Geochemistry, Bowling Green State University
Email: yuyuli3@illinois.edu
Research Areas:
- Evolution of Aleutian calderas (Veniaminof, Westdahl, and Okmok)
- Finite Element Methods
- InSAR data processing & analysis
- Data assimilation & eruption forecasting
Robert “Robby” Goldman, Ph.D. 2023
GSA Congressional Science Fellow
Staff for Sen. Hirono (HI)
Illinois Distinguished Fellow (UIUC); Geology Dept. Fellow (UIUC); NSF Graduate Research Fellow (UIUC)
Research Areas:
- Geodynamic models of volcano evolution
- Dike propagation
- Volcano flank eruptions
- Volcanic hazards
- Hazard communication & policy
John “Jack” Albright, Ph.D. 2022
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow
GNS New Zealand & UIUC
NSF Graduate Research Fellow (UIUC); Geology Dept. Fellow (UIUC)
Research Areas:
- Statistical Data Assimilation
- Geodynamic models of unresting volcanoes
- Volcano forecasting techniques
- Phreatic eruptions & eruption triggering
Haley Cabaniss, Ph.D. 2020
Assistant Professor
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, College of Charleston
Research Areas:
- Thermomechanical modeling of caldera systems
- Marine Geophysics & Geodynamics
- Model–data fusion
- Volcano forecasting techniques
Yan Zhan, Ph.D. 2020
Ng Yin Ying Assistant Professor of Geophysics
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Carnegie Inst. Washington D.C. Postdoctoral Fellow; NASA Earth & Space Sciences Fellow (UIUC); Geology Dept. Fellow (UIUC)
Research Areas:
- Statistical Data Assimilation
- Volcano forecasting methods
- Finite Element Methods
- Geodetic data analysis
Therese Monical, M.S. 2017
Software Engineer at Blue Marble Payroll, Chicago, IL
M.S. Thesis: A statistical data assimilation investigation of the prolonged unrest of Long Valley Caldera
Postdoctoral Scholar Alumni
Dr. Valentina Romano
Current: Researcher, INGV (Rome, Italy)
Ph.D., Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Visiting Scholar & Postdoc, University of Illinois (2016–2019)
Research Areas:
- Reactive transport modeling
- Geodynamic models of mantle melt generation & migration
- Marine Geophysics & Geodynamics
- Gravity data analysis & modeling
- Marine magnetics data analysis & modeling
- Shallow geophysics
Dr. Matthew Head
Current: Analytical Manager, Good Growth (Exeter, UK)
Ph.D., University of Exeter, UK
Visiting Scholar & Postdoc, University of Illinois (2021–2025)
Research Areas:
- Finite Element Methods
- Non-linear rheologies
- Data assimilation & forecasting
- GIS & Machine Learning
- InSAR data analysis
Undergraduate Research Alumni
Dominik Rzeszutek, B.S. Geology 2024
United States Space Force, Colorado Springs, CO
UIUC Research Areas:
- Planetary volcanology
- Machine Learning
- GIS
- Volcanology of Venus
Senior Capstone: Cataloging volcanic structures on the surface of Venus using machine learning
Lily Lucas, B.S. Geology 2023
Current: Geotechnical Engineer, Haley & Aldrich (Seattle, WA)
NSF Graduate Research Fellow, University of Washington (Seattle)
Fulbright Fellow, University of Bremen (2023–2024)
L. C. Lucas, J. A. Albright, P. M. Gregg, Y. Zhan, The impact of ice caps on the mechanical stability of magmatic systems: Implications for forecasting on human timescales, Frontiers in Earth Sciences | Volcanology, 10.3389/feart.2022.868569, 2022.
Senior Thesis: The impact of ice caps on the mechanical stability of magmatic systems: Implications for forecasting on human timescales
Brooke (Dykstra) Engel, B.S. Geology 2021
Current: Mineralogist at Owens Corning (Powell, OH)
UIUC Research Areas:
- Mid-continent uplift & plateau development
- Finite element modeling
- Rhyolitic eruption styles — Mono-Inyo Craters of Long Valley
Senior Thesis: Characterizing factors controlling flank eruptions on Hawai‘i’s Mauna Loa–Kīlauea volcanic system
Rishi Chandra, B.S. Physics / Planetary Science 2021
Ph.D. Candidate, Planetary Seismology
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
University of Arizona
UIUC Research Areas:
- Planetary volcanology
- Dike emplacement at Elysium Mons, Mars
- Finite element modeling
Senior Thesis: Linear and Arcuate Rilles and the Flexural State of Elysium Mons, Mars
Eden Jacquat, B.S. Geology 2025
M.S. Student Western Washington University
Research Areas:
- Finite element methods
- Volcano deformation and geodetic observations
- Three Sisters, OR
Keon “Isaac” Park, B.S. Computer Science 2021
Current: Software Engineer, IMC Trading
NCSA SPIN Fellow
Ariana Echevarria, Research Student (2019-2020)
Research Areas:
- Planetary volcanology
- Thermal evolution & volcanic history of Io
- MELTS
Blake Spitz, B.S. Geology 2018
Current: Geologist, Nevada Gold Mines
M.S. Geology, University of Iowa
Senior Thesis: Investigating Eruption Dynamics at Axial Seamount
Sean Griffin, B.S. Geology 2017
M.E. Candidate Colorado School of Mines
Senior Thesis: Investigating volcanic unrest and eruption potential at the Three Sisters Volcanoes in the Oregon Cascades
Andrew Birkey, B.S. Geology 2017
Current: Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Delaware
Ph.D. UC Riverside
Senior Thesis: The formation of Procellarum Basin on the Moon through large-scale caldera volcanism
Ashly Hunt, B.S. Geology 2016
Current: Scientific Specialist / Project Manager, IL State Geological Survey
Senior Thesis: Near-Axis Seamounts as Probes of Mantle Melting at the East Pacific Rise
Tiffany Vlahopoulos, B.S. Geology 2016
Current: Team Leader & Senior Scientific Specialist, IL State Geological Survey
M.S. Geology, UIUC
Senior Thesis: Elastic block modeling of fault slip rates across Southern California using updated GPS velocity data from the San Bernardino Mountains and vicinity
Phillip Moore, B.S. Geology 2015
Current: Geologist, Stantec
M.S. Geology, Northern Illinois University