Faculty Research

Dr. Alan Czarnetzki explores the analysis and forecasting of middle latitude cyclones (dynamic and synoptic meteorology); thunderstorm phenomena (mesoscale dynamics); air quality; and meteorological decision support systems that can be used by decision makers, planners, and emergency managers charged with protecting communities in the path of potentially adverse weather.

Dr. Kenneth De Nault examines the physics of volcanic processes and the geographic distribution of fatal diseases in Iowa.

Dr. Kyle Gray studies science education methods and pedagogy.

Dr. John Groves focuses on micropaleontology by reconstructing evolutionary relationships among related groups of microfossils and using the evolutionary histories of microfossils as a means to correlate rocks of similar age on a global basis.

Dr. Chad Heinzel explores some of the primary environmental factors including Holocene climatic variability, evolving fluvial landscapes, soil development, and natural resource availability (i.e. soil quality, building materials stone/clay, potable water) that influence human populations.

Dr. Thomas Hockey studies the history of planetary astronomy in light of the modern search for planets orbiting other stars; the astronomy of solar eclipses and comets; and the archeoastronomy of pre-historic peoples.

Dr. Mohammad Iqbal specializes in hydrogeological research including soil water and groundwater contamination, assessment of groundwater flow parameters in various hydrogeologic setting, groundwater modeling, subsurface contaminant transport mechanisms, environmental water pollution research. He is also interested in the effects of agricultural practices on groundwater quality and nitrate degradation pathways in the Cedar River Watershed of north-east Iowa, nitrogen isotopic source evaluation, and development of multi-component mixing models of storm discharge in a watershed by using oxygen and deuterium isotopes.

Dr. Siobahn Morgan studies the behavior of pulsating stars found in our galaxy and others and the evolution of stars, particularly massive stars. In addition, she provides on-line databases of pulsating star data for other researchers and WWW-based educational packages for K-12 and higher education astronomy courses.

Dr. James Walters examines frozen ground and frost action processes and features produced through intensive freeze-thaw activity, both present day and relict. He also investigates permanently frozen ground (permafrost) distribution and characteristics in arctic and subarctic environments and how these environments are changing with global warming.