A PhD degree recognizes mastery of creative scientific thought. PhD degrees are usually required for leadership positions across academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and industry. To earn a PhD degree a student in my lab group usually does customized coursework in either the Hydrologic Sciences or Ecology Graduate Groups at UC Davis plus a PhD dissertation. Whereas an MS thesis is a directed activity following through on a faculty member's ideas, a PhD dissertation requires original idea by the candidate. Sometimes a research grant may be in hand to help a PhD candidate get started, but it is important for a PhD student to learn and go through the process of writing their own research funding proposals, because that teaches valuable writing skills and forces a deeper understanding of conceptual thinking and experimental design. Along with producing novel science in the PhD dissertation, it is hoped that an angle on the research will benefit society, perhaps through direct participation in environmental management and restoration during the candidate's time in school.
Current PhD Students
Here is a list of my curent PhD students.
Tasha Royal
RiverSTICH topo-bathymetric modeling of sparse river surveys for 12 stream types
Machine learning prediction of stream-side encampments in the San Francisco Bay Area
Arthur Koehl
Geomorphology of "Valleys"
Extraction of valley floors from 10-m DEMs
Sierra Phillips
Cottonwood seedling recruitment potential prediction model
Ecohydraulics for stream management and restoration
Past PhD Receipients
Here is a list of my PhD student alumni.
Sean Luis
Adult anadromous salmonid migration behavior at river confluences base don monitoring with using DIDSON sonars.
Assessing physical habitat selection for migrating adult California Central Valley fall-run Chinook salmon at a regulated river confluence.
Graduated December 2022
Fish Passage Biologist with Tacoma Power
Jason Wiener
Analysis of topo-bathymetric patterns of large bed elements in mountain rivers
Patterns of mountain river morphological units
Graduated August 2022
Environmental consultant in California
Tingyu "Nina" Li
Hydropeak detection algorithm development and classificaiton of hydropeaking regimes.
Hydrodynamics of reservoir sedimentation under different hydrologic regimes and diversion operations.
Potential re-contouring of reservoir sediments to control reservoir eidmentation to protect critical infrastructure
Graduated December 2021
Postdoctoral Researcher in Artificial Intelligence for 2022
Currently working for Caterpiller
Desmond Anim
Ecohydraulics of urban rivers.
Co-advised with Matthew Burns, Geoff Vietz, and Tim Fletcher from University of Melbourne. Degree from UM.
Graduated May 2019.
River consultant in Australia
Belize Lane
Hydrological, geomorphological, and ecological analyses of rivers for design of functional environmental flows
Co-advised with Sam Sandoval and Helen Dahlke
Graduated June 2017.
Associate professor of Civil Engineering at Utah State University
Anne Senter
Streamwood storage and flux in mountain rivers
Graduated in April 2017.
Environmental consultant at Balance Hydrolgics
Rocko Brown
"The Analysis and Synthesis of River Topography"
Graduated in 2014.
Environmental consultant at Cramer Fish Sciences
Andy Gray
"Sediment transport and sedimentation dynamics in small mountainous, dry-summer river systems"
Deltaic distributary channel switching.
Graduated in 2014.
Associate professor of Watershed Hydrology at University of California at Riverside.
Marisa Escobar Arias
"Evaluating streamflow to characterize ecological functions of physical habitat in rivers"
Graduated in 2007.
Environmental consultant in California.
Brett Valle
"Geomorphic structure and function of hydraulic jumps in mountain river channels"
Graduated in 2005.
After working as a consultant for a decade, now choosing to be self-employed.
