Earth Science’s FACULTY

ALAN ANDERSON
Alan investigates the important role of aqueous fluids in magmatism, metamorphism, and the formation of ore deposits. His current research examines how hydrous silicate melts and aqueous fluids transport and deposit metals. His students are engaged in field and geochemical studies of giant ore deposits as well as direct spectroscopic investigations of experimental melt-fluid systems under high pressures and temperatures.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2059
902 867 2309
Alan’s Website
HUGO BELTRAMI
Hugo Beltrami is the Canada Research Chair in Climate Dynamics (Tier I). His research is focused on the energy exchange between the atmosphere, and the shallow part of the Earth’s continental crust – an interface extremely important for life on our planet. His team consists of students (MSc, PhD, other researchers) working in theoretical and field-based projects aimed at improving the land-surface model components of global climate models. The team is interdisciplinary, and also works in areas such as paleoclimate, land surface processes, as well as societal impacts of future climate.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2027
902 867 2326
Hugo’s Website
JAMIE BRAID
Jamie Braid studies the evolution of mountain belts in Southern Iberia and other locations worldwide. He is primarily a structural geologist with specific interest in orogenic (mountain building) processes and their relationship to the formation of the supercontinent Pangea.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2060
902 867 5304
Jamie’s Website
LISA KELLMAN
Lisa is Chair of the Earth Sciences Department. Her primary interests centre upon the dynamics of biogeochemical processes controlling the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in soil and aquatic environments, and how these have been altered by changes associated with global climate and land use. Current research activities can be viewed at her website.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2057
902 867 5086
Lisa’s Website
MIKE MELCHIN
Mike is a paleontologist interested in global biodiversity and extinction patterns of graptolites through the Ordovician and Silurian periods and their relationship to environmental change, including mss extinction events. He works on evolutionary relationships, biostratigraphy and isotopic problems, using samples from around the world, as well as application of new methods of analysis of paleontological data.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2073
902 867 5177
Mike’s Website
ANDREW MACDOUGALL
Andrew’s interests include carbon-cycle feedbacks to climate change and development of Earth system models. Much of Andrew’s recent work has focused on projecting how much carbon will be released from high-latitude soils as permafrost thaws. He has also recently focused on quantifying the uncertainty in the carbon budgets compatible with the Paris Agreement targets. In the near future Andrew is planning to develop new Earth system models components.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2020
902 867 3614
Andrew’s Website
BRENDAN MURPHY
Brendan specializes in large-scale orogenic processes, mantle plumes, isotopic systems (especially U-Pb), and other topics within those larger frameworks. He is one of the acknowledged authorities on supercontinents and supercontinent cycles.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2007
902 867 2481
Brendan’s Website
DAVE RISK
Dave’s interests lie in the measurement of gas emission from soils, isotope tracers, and sensor techniques. Some of this expertise is applied to natural ecosystems, and he has projects both in the Arctic and Antarctic, focused on soil microbial dynamics in cold ecosystems. The other portion of his research relates to the energy industry, for which he develops sensor techniques to detect fugitive emissions (gas leaks) in energy developments.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2066
902 867 4854
FluxLab’s Website

ADJUNCT PROFESSORS

Dr. J. Fidel Gonzélez Rouco
Dr. Juan Pedro Montavez Gomez
Dr. Lex Tarasov
Dr. Erin Smith
Dr. Deanne van Rooyen (CBU)

Earth Science’s STAFF

DONNELLY ARCHIBALD, PHDLaboratory Instructor & Lecturer
Donnelly Archibald completed his PhD at the University of Adelaide (Australia) in September 2016 where he studied the tectonic evolution of Central Madagascar during the Neoproterozoic (ca. 1000-541 Ma). He primarily uses zircon geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry and isotopic concentrations in rocks and minerals to understand ancient tectonic environments. Donnelly’s current research focuses on the mid-Palaeozoic (ca. 440-350 Ma) tectonic development of the Northern Appalachian Orogen in Atlantic Canada.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2035
902 867 5155
CINDY MURPHY, MSC Laboratory Instructor ESCI 171.66
Cindy is a senior lab supervisor involved with 1st and 2nd year Earth Sciences courses and laboratories. She has worked with the Department for over 30 years assisting with labs that engage students in their discovery of Earth processes, and teaches an online course in Understanding the Earth. In her spare time, she manages the publication side of the Geological Association of Canada’s flagship journal Geoscience Canada.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2036
902 867 2299
COLETTE RENNIE, MSC BEDInstructional Assistant, Instructor AR 100
Colette is a senior lab supervisor involved mainly in supporting 1st year Earth Sciences courses. She also teaches the online course Aquatic Resources. Colette has worked in the Department of Earth Sciences for almost 25 years and is also a science teacher at Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2035
902 867 3679
MATTHEW SCHUMACHER, MSCLaboratory Instructor & Lecturer
Matthew joined the Department in the fall of 2010. He is passionate about water issues, erosion issues and climate studies, and finds creative uses to apply computer technology, such as GIS and geomodelling to accomplish research goals. He has experience working on projects in the private sector as well as for all three levels of government.
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2035
902 867 5184
Matthew’s Website
LISA SAMPSONAdministrative Assistant
Physical Sciences Centre Room 2050
902 867 5109

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Department of EARTH SCIENCES.

Phone: (902) 867-5109
Fax: (902) 867-2414
Email Us: lsampson@stfx.ca

COURIER ADDRESS: 
5009 Chapel Square
Physical Sciences Centre, Room 2052
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Canada, B2G 2W5