Education
University of California, Berkeley Expected 2028
PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Penny Wieser
Kansas State University 2023
M.S. Geology
Advisor: Dr. Matt Brueseke
Thesis: On the Maclaren River volcanic field: Petrogenesis of Pleistocene
Yakutat slab tear volcanism in south-central Alaska, (USA)
University of Missouri - Kansas City 2021
B.S. Geology - Summa Cum Laude
Undergraduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
Honors and Scholarships
2024 Outstanding Graduate Instructor Award (UC Berkeley Field Methods)
2023 Chancellors Fellowship for Graduate Study
2023 American Geophysical Union Outstanding Student Presentation Award
2022 John L. Garlough Geology Graduate Teaching Assistantship ($750)
2022 Charles and Helen Steincamp Geology Scholarship ($750)
2021 International Association for Geoscience Diversity Scholarship ($500)
2021 Anita C. Lehner Geology Scholarship ($1000)
2021 Dr. Richard J. Gentile Geology Scholarship ($400)
2020 Undergraduate Research Fellow Designation
2017-2020 Chancellor's Award Scholarship ($10000 total)
2018;2020 Campus Facilities Management and CAS Sustainability Scholarship ($1800 total)
2019-2020 Dr. Raymond M. Coveney, Jr. and Anne M. Coveney Geosciences Scholarship ($1400)
2019 ASCE - Geotechnical Group/Peck-WilliamsGarstang Scholarship ($4000)
Grants
2022 Kansas State University College of Arts & Sciences Travel Grant to attend AGU 2022 ($400)
2022 GSA/NSF Travel Grant to attend AGU 2022 ($500)
2022 Graduate Student Council Travel Award to attend AGU 2022 ($400)
2022 GSA/NSF Graduate Student Geoscience Research Grant ($2500)
2022 Alaska Geological Society Don Richter Memorial Scholarship ($2000)
2022 Association of Earth Science Clubs of Greater KC Grant ($500)
2019 Students Engaged in the Arts & Research Grant ($1250)
2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grant ($3250)
Teaching
Fall 2024 Field Methods Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley
Performed teaching-related duties to assist faculty with classroom and field instruction, with emphasis on describing and interpreting geologic units and structures, and using QGIS for data visualization
Summer 2024, 2025 GeoSPACE Accessible Field Course - Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Florida
Assisted with field instruction in the San Francisco volcanic field, Arizona. Content focused on physical volcanology, photogrammetry, and remote sensing.
Spring 2022, 2023 Petrology - Graduate Teaching Assistant, Kansas State University
Collaborated with course instructors to teach petrology laboratory sessions
Fall 2021, 2022 Mineralogy - Graduate Teaching Assistant, Kansas State University
Collaborated with course instructors to teach mineralogy laboratory sessions
Teaching evaluations (Mineralogy and Petrology)
"Alex was a fantastic TA; he was very familiar with the material and was always very helpful whenever assistance was needed from any of his students. There was never a moment where he failed to be the perfect example of what a TA should be; kind, understanding, patient, and knowledgeable. Overall he is a great leader, student, and teacher."
"Alex explained the content really well, especially stuff that I struggled with. He was also very helpful and approachable outside of class. I think he is one of the best TA's I've had. This class definitely makes me want to further explore mineralogy and potentially petrology."
"Over the course of this semester Alex was incredibly helpful. He provided multiple examples that would help me figure out the answer to problem. He would also guide you to the answer but not give the answer until you answered the question correctly. He shows that he cares deeply about geology as well as the quality of education he is providing to my peers and I, because of this he made labs fun and engaging always doing his best to make sure every student understands the concepts presented in class and in lab."
Academic Field Experience
2023,2024,2025 San Francisco Volcanic field, Arizona (USA)
2022 Maclaren River volcanic field, south-central Alaska (USA)
2022 Big Sur, California (USA)
2021 Wichita State University Geological Field Camp (Wyoming and Montana)
2020 71 Gulch, Snake River Plain, Idaho (USA)
2020, 2022 Big Bend National Park, Texas (USA)
2020 Bahía Concepción Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico
2019 St. Francois Mountains, Missouri (UMKC Volcanology field trip)
2019 Diamond Craters Volcanic Field, Oregon (USA)
Professional Lab Experience
Intern Laboratory Technician Sept. 2020 - Apr. 2021
Geotechnology Inc; Shawnee, Kansas
Preformed soil, aggregate and asphalt testing such as Atterberg limits, moisture content, grain size analysis, and unconfined compressive strength tests
Microbiology Laboratory Prep Assistant Jan. 2019 - May 2019
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Independently prepared growth media, strains, and solutions for the microbiology teaching laboratory using aseptic technique
Academic Lab Techniques
Petrographic microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope, Electron Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS), Wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), Electron Backscatter Diffraction Spectroscopy (EBSD), Secondary Ionization Mass Spectrometry, thin section preparation, rock powdering, melt and fluid inclusion prep, high temperature (1300° C) furnace melt experiments
Leadership
2021 - Present International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD), Executive Committee
Served on the IAGD Student Scholarship Committee to select successful applicants
Managed social media presence on LinkedIn
Collaborated with executive committee members to execute organization goals
2021 - 2023 Kansas State University Williston Geology Club, Grants & Scholarships Chair
Promoted scholarship, grant, and other funding opportunities to KSU students
Organized a job recruiting event to assist students with resume building, to provide a Q&A session for interview tips, and to hold initial interviews for graduating seniors seeking jobs.
2019 - 2021 University of Missouri - Kansas City Geology Club, President
Collaborated with committee members to plan, budget, and execute the 2019 Earth Week outreach event
Developed workshops to increase professional skill development for UMKC geology undergraduates
Outreach / Service
2023 - 2025 NSF GeoSPACE Accessible Geology Field Course
Graduate Teaching Assistant / Mentor
· Assisted with field instruction and technology in Arizona, visiting meteor crater, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco volcanic field
2022 - 2023 NSF Geoscience Career Ambassador Training (GeoCAT) workshop
· Led a presentation for Kansas educators on the formation of a geoscientist and emerging fieldwork accessibility practices during the Summer 2022 and 2023 GeoCAT workshop
2022 - 2023 Kansas Science Fest
· Organized and planned an interactive geology booth at the Kansas Science Fest in Manhattan, KS
· Introduced K-12 students to earth science concepts and the important role of geoscientists towards a more sustainable future
2019 - 2021 UMKC Undergraduate Research Ambassador
· Facilitated relationships between first-year undergraduates and potential faculty research mentors
· Directed undergraduates towards funding resources to support their undergraduate research