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

Geodynamics Team

Geodynamics Team, June 2020

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Our research seeks to improve our understanding of Earth's lithosphere-mantle system, including earthquakes and the physics of plate tectonics, as well as planetary evolution. We are always looking for motivated undergraduate and graduate students and driven post-docs.
  • Current team members


    Thorsten Becker

    Ethan Conrad

    Edward Clennett

    Kaixuan Kang


    Chuanming Liu

    Dunyu Liu

    Huiwen Sun

  • Former team members

    • 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: Miles Mackenzie (research advisor, Physics, 2022-2023), Jake Goins (research committee member, 2020 - 2021), Zel Hurewitz (BSc 2019, Physics; grad school UCSD)
      • At USC: Bradford Foley41 (BSc 2008; Associate Professor, Penn State)
    • MSc students:
      • At UT Austin: Antoine Demont (visiting from ENS Paris, 2020), Kunpeng Liao (MSc 2018; CGG)
      • At USC: Zi-Yu Wu (MSc 2010; Guosen Securities) and Claire Steedman32 (MSc 2006; Iris Environmental)
    • PhD students:
      • At UT Austin:
        • current: Edward Clennett151 (2020-), and Huiwen Sun (2022-).
        • Ethan Conrad152 (PhD 2024, post-doc at UCL)
        • Simone Puel128,144,153,156 (PhD 2023; post-doc at Caltech)
        • Erin Heilman146,158 (PhD 2023; Research scientist at LANL),
        • Wanying Wang125 (PhD 2021; Research scientist at bp)
      • At USC:
        • Adam Holt87,89,90,92,105-107,113,115 (PhD 2016; Assistant Professor, U Miami)
        • Michael Kaplan (PhD 2015; post-doc, Duke; MD)
        • 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 service at UT Austin:
        • Sohini Dasgupta (2023- ), Avigyan Chatterjee (2021-), Chenyu Tian (2020-), Chujie Liu (2017-2023, PhD 2023), Keith Minor (2019-2022, PhD 2022), Juan Gutierrez (2021-2022), Eric Hiatt (2020-2021), Brandon Schuck (2018-2021, PhD 2021), Peter Nelson (2017-2020, PhD 2020), Alexandra Lachner (2019-2020), Yanyao Zhang (2018-2020), Kristina Butler (2018-2020), Chang Lu (2018-2020), Brooklyn Gose (2017-2020), and Lily R. Serach (2017-2019).
    • Other PhD committee service:
      • At the University of Southern California, Los Angeles: Jessica Stellman93 (2014-2020), William Schmidt (2015-2016), Beth Paulson (2014-2016), Xinjiang Xiang (2015), Xin Song (2014-2015), Xin Liu (2014-2015), 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), and Jeremy Zechar (PhD 2008).
      • External PhD reviewer: Christopher Mathews (ANU, 2021), Angela Maria Gomez Garcia (U Medellin, 2020), 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, 2014-2022.
    • Post-docs:
      • Chuanming Liu (2023 -)
      • Kaixuan Kang (2023 -)
      • Junlin Hua149 (2022 - 2024; post-doc, Brown; co-advised with Steve Grand)
      • Antoniette G. Grima157 (2020-2022; Assistant Professor, University of Glasgow)
      • Eivind Straume155 (2021-2023; Post-Doc, University of Bergen)
      • Silvia Brizzi141 (2020-2022; Post-Doc, U Roma TRE)
      • Rob Porritt88,100,124,140 (2017-2019; Research Scientist, Sandia).
      • Matt Weller122 (2016-2019; Research Scientist, LPI)
      • Lukas Fuchs122,125,135,147,154 (2016-2018; Research Scientist, U. Frankfurt)
      • Attreyee Ghosh44, 68 (2008-2010; Associate 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 during supervision.)
  • Geodynamics Team pictures

  • Resources




Updated: July 02, 2024. (c) Thorsten Becker, 1997-2024.