People

Dr. Allison Pfeiffer (she/her)

Associate Professor, WWU Geology Department 

GoogleScholar GitHub CV

Email: allison.pfeiffer@wwu.edu

I work to understand geomorphic processes, primarily in gravel-bedded rivers. I dabble in remote sensing and numerical modeling, but my inspiration comes from the field. Go to the 'Projects' page for more details.

Before starting at Western, I was an NCED 2 Synthesis Postdoctoral Fellow studying geomorphology at the University Washington. I split my time between the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department (working with Erkan Istanbulluoglu) and the Earth and Space Science Department (with Dave Montgomery), as well as working with Jon Czuba at Virginia Tech. Before starting in Seattle, I was a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, working with Noah Finnegan.

Ashanie Long-Reid (she/her)

BS, Geology, University of the West Indies (Mona)

Ashanie's research will focus on simulating the downstream fate of mass wasting events using a morphodynamic model, the Network Sediment Transporter. Her goal is to assess the need for adding more complex abrasion processes to the model. Ashanie's academic interests include geologic hazards, landscape evolution, hazard management, GIS, and remote sensing.

In her spare time, Ashanie likes to read, watch movies, and travel. 

Brian Pinke (he/him)

BS, Geology, Lafayette College

Brian’s M.S. research will quantify variability in the sediment characteristics of mass wasting deposits in the North Cascade Range to help constrain the roles of clast size and abrasion rate in sediment transport downstream.

When not in the lab, you can find Brian outside exploring or cheering on NY sports teams. 

Liv Pedersen 

Liv graduated from WWU in Spring 2024, and is working as an NSF GEO-REPS Postbac researcher. Her project is focused on the downstream deposits from Glacier Peak lahars in the middle Skagit River. 

When not in the lab, Liv enjoys mountain biking and playing on the river. 

Hailey (Hof) Hoffer (she/they)

Hof is a 3rd year undergrad pursuing a BS in Geology. They are researching the characteristics of vesicular volcanic rock lithologies sampled from down stream deposits along the Lillooet River in BC.

Hof enjoys exploring Washington via skiing, hiking and SAR helicopter rides :) 

Telemak (Telly) Olsen (MS, 2023) he/him

Thesis: "Quantifying channel change following post-fire debris flows in a steep, coastal stream, Big Sur, California" 

BA, Geosciences, Skidmore College

Emily Loucks (MS, 2023) she/her

Thesis: "Does sediment supply impact the threshold for initial sediment motion in natural, gravel bedded streams?"

BS, Geology, Pennsylvania State University

Ed Fordham (MS, 2022) he/him

Thesis: "Glacier Peak and the Chocolate Factory : Recurring debris flows from Chocolate Glacier, eastern flank of Glacier Peak stratovolcano, North Cascades, Washington State, USA"

Fordham et al. (2023) Recurrent debris flows and their downstream fate: geomorphic drivers of an anomalous sediment load, Suiattle River, Washington State, USA. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5551

BS, Environmental Science, University of New Mexico

Finn Coffin (he/him)

Finn's B.S. research involves considering the relationship between in place weathering and fluvial abrasion rates of volcanic sourced landslide deposits. Outside of geology he enjoys exploring food and rock climbing. 

Stephen Novak (BS, 2021)

Thesis: "Quantifying sediment contribution from bluff retreat along the Suiattle River, Washington"

Jeni Chan (Postbac, 2023)

Jeni worked in the lab as an NSF-funded GEO-REPS scholar with the goal of exploring the lateral extent and sedimentology of a ~1.8kyr lahar downstream from Glacier Peak. The work was a collaboration with (semi-) retired National Park Service Geologist Jon Riedel.