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 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 team members


    Thorsten Becker

    Edward Clennett

    Ethan Conrad

    Junlin Hua


    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; Assistant 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:
      • Supervised:
        • current: Ethan Conrad152 (2019-, co-advisor), Edward Clennett151 (2020-), Huiwen Sun (2022-).
        • At UT Austin: Wanying Wang125 (PhD 2021; scientist at bp US), Erin Heilman146 (PhD 2023; staff scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory), Simone Puel128,144,153 (PhD 2023; post-doc at Caltech)
        • 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 The University of Texas at 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-doc mentoring:
      • Chuanming Liu (2023 -)
      • Kaixuan Kang (2023 -)
      • Junlin Hua149 (2022 - 2024; post-doc, Brown; co-advised with Steve Grand)
      • Antoniette Grima (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: April 19, 2024. (c) Thorsten Becker, 1997-2024.