Curriculum Vitae
Brandon Chiasera
Curriculum Vitae
38100 NE 197th Ct.
Amboy, WA 98601 U.S.A.
(716)-471-2502
Professional Experience
Teaching Assistant
Michigan State University Department of Geological Sciences September 2012 to May 2019
Instructed students in laboratory work for introductory courses in physical sciences and geology
Research Assistant
Michigan State University Department of Geological Sciences January 2013 to December 2019
Researched geochemistry of geological samples from the East African Rift valley. Performed analysis using XRF and LA-ICPMS. Performed isotopic chemical analysis via chromatography and ion exchange resins. Processed and interpreted raw data from analytical machines.
Geologist
Ecology and Environment Inc. June 2011 to March 2012
Worked on Phase I and Phase II environmental remediation projects.
Performed surface and groundwater sampling, soil sampling and soil vapor sampling.
Teaching Assistant
State University of New York at Buffalo Geology Department September 2007 to May 2009
Created lab sections and taught sophomore and junior level lab sections in Petrology, Petrography, Sedimentology and Field Methods.
Led field trips associated with classes including weekly sedimentology field trips to sample material for lab work and multiple day field trips exploring the Canadian shield.
Professional Training
OSHA, HAZWOPER 40 hour certified.
Department of Transportation, Hazardous Material Handling trained. Department of Energy, Radiological Worker II trained.
Research Training
Short course on Minerals, Inclusions and Volcanic Processes by the Mineralogical Society of America by Keith Putirka (California State University, Fresno) and Dr. Frank Tepley III (Oregon State University). 2008
University Exchange Program in Earth Hazards, Experimental Course is Convergent Plate Boundary Volcanism in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. 2008.
Awards
James P. Owens Award for outstanding incoming graduate student, 2007. Reginald H. Pegrum Award for geology graduate student of the year, 2008.
Publications
Chiasera, B., Rooney, T.O., Girard, G., Yirgu, G., Grosfils, E., Ayalew, D., Mohr, P., Zimbelman, J.R. and Ramsey, M.S. (2018) Magmatically assisted off-rift extension—The case for broadly distributed strain accommodation. Geosphere, v. 14, p. 1544-1563.
Brandon Chiasera, Joaquín A. Cortés, Predictive regions for geochemical compositional data of volcanic systems, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Volume 207, Issues 3-4, 15 October 2011, Pages 83-92, ISSN 0377-0273, 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2011.07.009.
Key Skills
Petrography Optical Mineralogy Geologic Mapping
Economic Geology Sedimentology Geomorphology
Volcanology Arc GIS Software Microsoft Office Suite
Matlab Python Veusz LaTeX
Conference Abstracts
B. Chiasera, J.A.Cortés and D. J. Morgan. Combining the Cluster Analysis of Mineral Chemistry with isotopic microanalysis and CSD: Evidence of magma mixing during the Lower Vancori period, Stromboli volcano, Italy. Presented IAVCEI general assembly, Iceland, 2008.
B. Chiasera, A. Denny, T. Rooney, C. Herzberg, I. Bastow. The riftward migration of focused magmatism in Central Ethiopia: Geochemical evidence of magmatic processes within the Galema Ridge. Presented GeoPRISMS Planning Workshop for the East African Rift System, 2012.
Chiasera, Brandon, Shahpurwala, Aiman, Koroleski, Kraig K., Raslich, Frank, and Rooney, Tyrone O. Geochemical analysis of the Dickinson group of the Upper Peninsula, Michigan: A study of an accreted terrane of the Superior Province. Presented GSA North-Central Section - 47th Annual Meeting, 2013.
Chiasera, Brandon, Lithospheric Processes on Mars and Venus: A Geochemical Study of Analogous Terrestrial Structures in the Galema Range, Central Ethiopia. Presented Michigan Space Grant Consortium Annual Meeting, 2014.
Chiasera, Brandon, Rooney, T.O., Yirgu, G., Grosfils, E., Ayalew, D., Mohr, P., Zimbelman, J., Ramsey, M. Magmatically assisted off-rift extension – a study of the Galema range. Presented GeoPRISMS Theoretical & Experimental Institute for the RIE Initiative, 2017.
Chiasera, Brandon, Rooney, T.O., Yirgu, G., Grosfils, E., Ayalew, D., Mohr, P., Zimbelman, J., Ramsey, M. Magmatically assisted off-rift extension – a study of the Galema range. Presented IAVCEI Scientific Assembly, 2017.
Chiasera, Brandon, Rooney, T.O., Bastow, I., Yirgu, G., Grosfils, E., Ayalew, D., Mohr, P., Zimbelman, J., Ramsey, M. Geochemically Constraining the Depth of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary in the Central Main Ethiopian Rift System. Presented GeoPRISMS Synthesis & Integration Theoretical and Experimental Institute, 2019.
Teaching Experience
Teaching Experience at Michigan State University
Dates Course Number Course Title
Spring 2017 GLG 431 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (T.A.)
Fall 2017 GLG 201 The Dynamic Earth (T.A.)
Fall 2016
Spring 2015
Spring 2019 ISP 203L Geology of the Human Environment Laboratory (T.A.)
Spring 2018
Fall 2014
Spring 2014
Fall 2013
Fall 2012
Teaching Experience at SUNY Buffalo
Dates Course Number Course Title
Spring 2010 GLY 306 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Lab (T.A.)
Spring 2009
Summer 2009 GLY 412 Tropical Marine Ecology (T.A.)
Fall 2009 GLY 215 Sedimentology Lab (T.A.)
Fall 2008
Course Descriptions:
GLG201 Physical and chemical processes related to the past, present and future behavior of the earth system, and the energy systems that drive these processes. A study of the earth's materials, the earth's surface and the earth's interior.
GLG431 Sediments, sedimentary rocks, sedimentary processes, and depositional environments through geologic time. Facies event correlation. Fossils as tools in stratigraphy and environmental analysis. Biostratigraphy, paleoecology and taphomony.
ISP203L Geology of the Human Environment Laboratory - Exercises in the scientific method applied to earth materials and their impact on society.
GLY215 Sedimentology - Introduction to the origin of sedimentary rocks, including analysis of sediments and transport mechanisms, depositional environments, and recognition of common sedimentary rock types.
GLY306 Petrology - Presents the fundamental principles of petrology, including origin, occurrence, and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Integrates geochemical principles based on phase equilibria with interpretation of mineral assemblages present in common rocks. Plate tectonics and regional distribution of rock types form the broad framework for the course materials.
GLY412 Field Course in Tropical Marine Ecology - An intensive two week field course in the Bahamas focusing on coral reef communities. Combining lectures, fieldwork, and laboratory analyses, students conduct in depth studies of Caribbean marine habitats.