Communications professional and volcanologist with the USGS Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) currently acting as the Associate Program Coordinator.
As the Acting Associate Program Coordinator of the Volcano Hazards Program, I assist the program in streamlining the process for cooperative agreements with partner organizations. I assist the Program Coordinator in reporting on and administering NVEWS, the annual budget, and workflow with the Volcano Science Center.
I work with all USGS volcano observatories to coordinate communication products, procedures, and projects to streamline processes throughout the Volcano Science Center. I am a subject matter expert in volcano science, hazards, and crisis response, particularly Hawaiian-style eruptions. I've done interviews with all major national and international broadcast networks during several U.S. and international volcanic crisis events. With a background in internet marketing, I lead the planning and execution of digital communication products for the Volcano Science Center and associated volcano observatories, including official notifications, website content, and social media.
As the Deputy Scientist in Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, I focus on invigorating research in the Intermountain western United States for potentially eruptive distributed volcanic fields. In this capacity, I helped to plan and organize the 2022 AGU Chapman Conference on Distributed Volcanism and host a Mendenhall Postdoctoral fellow conducting research in the San Francisco Volcanic Field of Northern Arizona.
Professional Experience
Acting Associate Program Coordinator, USGS Volcano Hazards Program, July 2022 - Present
Deputy Scientist in Charge, USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, 2017 - Present
Volcanologist and Communication Specialist, USGS Volcano Science Center, February 2011 - Present
Communication and Outreach Specialist, NOAA Pacific Services Center, Honolulu Hawaii, May 2009 - January 2011
Research Assistant, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu Hawaii, July 2005 - May 2009
Account and Project Manager, Nine Dots Marketing, San Francisco, California, 2000-2002
Project and Operations Manager, TMP Worldwide (In2), San Francisco, California & New York, New York, 1998-2000
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Geology and Geophysics, Physical Volcanology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2005-2009
Post-Baccalaureate Geology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, 2001-2005
B.A. Environmental Studies, Organic Horticulture and Ecology, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado, 1994-1998
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Association for Women Geoscientists
Earth Science Women’s Network
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior
International Society for Technology in Education
National Association for Interpretation
Honors and Awards
2023 - U.S. Geological Survey Special Thanks for Achieving Results (STAR) Award, HVO American Samoa seismic response
2021 - U.S. Geological Survey Special Thanks for Achieving Results (STAR) Award, DOI Website Tiger Team
2020 - Shoemaker Award for Communications Product Excellence, USGS Volcanoes social media response to 2018 Kīlauea Eruption
2018 - U.S. Geological Survey Special Thanks for Achieving Results (STAR) Award, Kīlauea 2018 eruption response
2017 - U.S. Geological Survey Special Thanks for Achieving Results (STAR) Award
Science and Products
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government