Institute for Geophysics and
Department of Geosciences
Jackson School of Geosciences
The University of Texas at Austin

Geodynamics Group

 Becker Geodynamics Group, August 2008
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Our research focus is on improving our understanding of the lithosphere-mantle system, including the general workings of plate tectonics and Earth's evolution. We are always looking for motivated undergraduate and graduate students and highly talented post-docs.

  • Current group members


  • All students and post-docs advised

    • Summer undergraduate interns:
      • At UT Austin: Dorothy Linnemann (2017, Scripps College, with Lavier)
      • At USC: Fabienne Stockmann (2014, Münster University), Simon Schneider (2013, Münster University), Kevin Milner35 (2008, USC), Jared Sain35 (2008, USC), Hannah Waterhouse35 (2008, Bryn Mawr College), and Katrin Plenkers (2005, Karlsruhe).
    • Undergraduate advisees:
      • At UT Austin: Zel Hurewitz (BSc 2019, Physics; grad school SIO)
      • At USC: Bradford Foley41 (BSc 2008; Assistant Professor, Penn State)
    • MSc students:
      • At UT Austin: Kunpeng Liao (MSc 2018; CGG)
      • At USC: Zi-Yu Wu (MSc 2010; Guosen Securities) and Claire Steedman32 (MSc 2006; Iris Environmental)
    • PhD students:
      • Supervised:
        • current: Erin Heilman (2018 -), Simone Puel (2018 -), Wanying Wang125 (2016-), Alexandra Lachner (2019-, co-advisor), Ethan Conrad (2019 -, co-advisor)
        • At USC:
          • Adam Holt87,89,90,92,105-107,113,115 (PhD 2016; Assistant Professor, U Miami)
          • Michael Kaplan (PhD 2015; post-doc, Duke)
          • Mélanie Gérault62,121 (PhD 2014; post-doc, MIT)
          • Thomas Goebel61, 69, 75, 77, 80, 111 (PhD 2013; Assistant Professor, U Memphis)
          • Lisa Alpert51,63,73 (PhD 2012; Aera Energy Llc.)
          • Iain Bailey38,47,51,63 (PhD 2009; Swiss Re).
      • Committee member:
        • At UT Austin: Keith Minor (external chair, 2019 -), Yanyao Zhang (2018-), Kristina Butler (external chair, 2018 -), Chang Lu (2018-), Brandon Schuck (2018 -), Chujie Liu (2017 -), Lily R. Serach (external chair, 2017 -), Brooklyn Gose (2017 -), Peter Nelson (2017 -).
        • At USC: Jessica Stellman93 (2014 -), William Schmidt (2015 - 2016), Xinjiang Xiang (2015), Xin Song (2014 - 2015), Xin Liu (2014 - 2015), Beth Paulson (2014 - 2016), Chris Milliner (2013 - 2015), Haoran Xia (2013 - 2015), Francoix Cadieux (PhD 2015), Feng Wang (PhD 2013), Prabu Sellappan (PhD 2013), Whitney Behr (PhD 2011), Zheqiang Shi (PhD 2008), Adam Fischer (PhD 2008), Jeremy Zechar (PhD 2008).
    • External PhD reviewer: Angela Maria Gomez Garcia (U Medellin, 2016), Juliane Dannberg (GFZ Potsdam, 2016), Raquibul Hassan (U Sydney, 2016), Rene Gassmöller (GFZ Potsdam, 2014), and Sabin Zahirovic (U Sydney, 2014).
    • Member of the Board, International Graduate School, Department of Earth Sciences, Universita di Roma TRE, 2014 -.
    • Post-docs:
      • Rob Porritt88,100,124 (2017 - 2019; research assocaite, UT Austin).
      • Matt Weller122 (2016 - 2019; post-doc, Brown)
      • Lukas Fuchs122,125 (2016 - 2018; post-doc, U. Frankfurt)
      • Attreyee Ghosh44, 68 (2008 - 2010; Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore)
      • Boris Kaus20,31-33,40,62 (2005 - 2006; Professor, Mainz University)
      • Jules Browaeys22 (2006; Geophysicist, Total E&P Norge AS)
    (Superscript numerals refer to joint publications.)

  • Group pictures

  • Resources



Updated: February 24, 2020. (c) Thorsten Becker, 1997-2020.