Lab Members
Ethan J. Theuerkauf, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Theuerkauf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University. He is a coastal geomorphologist who studies how and why coastal landscapes change across timescales ranging from storms to millennia. He received a B.S. in Geology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hannah Griffith
Research and Outreach Coordinator
Hannah is the Coastal Processes Research and Outreach Coordinator, her job is to take what we learn from the research and educate and inform the public, coastal landowners, and state/city managers about coastal processes and how we can use this information to better manage Michigan coasts. She has a B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University and a Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Science from Oregon State University.
CarLee Stimpfel
Graduate Student
CarLee is an M.S. graduate student with the Theuerkauf lab researching seasonal fluctuations of sand spit formation in Lake Huron. Before MSU, CarLee was an undergraduate student at Saginaw Valley State University where he received a B.A. in Geography and a GIS Certification.
Emma Bouie
Graduate Student
Emma Bouie is a PhD student at Ohio State University's School of Earth Sciences collaborating y with Dr. Theuerkauf to investigate factors influencing bluff erosion and enhancing bluff resiliency along the Ohio coast. Emma's research focuses on coastal geomorphology and resilience analysis along the Ohio Lake Erie shoreline. Additionally, she is passionate about harnessing the power of GIS technology to facilitate efficient and regular monitoring of coastal changes for effective management. She received a B.S. in Geological Sciences from East Carolina University and an M.S. in Earth, Environmental and Geospatial Sciences from North Carolina Central University.
Brendan Burchi
Research Technician
Brendan’s work focuses on understanding coastal morphology in the Great Lakes region in relation to nearshore sediment movement. He received a B.S. from Michigan State University in Zoology with a concentration in Marine Biology and minor in Marine Ecosystem Management in 2022.
Jake Tow
Undergraduate Student
Jake is an undergraduate student in the college of natural science studying Environmental Geoscience with a minor in Environmental Sustainability Studies. Jake is currently researching a beach nourishment project relating to longshore drift in South Haven, MI.
Lab Alumni
Megan Castro, M.S.
Megan received an M.S. in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University in 2022. She studied the impact of fluctuating water levels on the morphology and ecology of Lake Michigan's coastline. She received a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Chicago majoring in Earth and Environmental Sciences and minoring in Biological Sciences.
Brittany Hartley, M.S.
Brittany received an M.S. in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University in 2022. She studied the coastal geomorphic response and associated processes of shore ice along the Great Lakes. She received a B.S. from Coastal Carolina University.
Lucas Rabins, M.S.
Lucas received an M.S. in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University in 2022. He was co-advised by Drs. Erin Bunting and Ethan Theuerkauf. Lucas studied the feasibility of a citizen-science based approach to modeling coastal processes through unmanned aircraft and structure from motion technology. He received a B.S. from Western Washington University.
Elizabeth Spitzer, M.S.
Elizabeth received an M.S. in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University in 2021. She studied rates and process of bluff retreat along the Lake Michigan shoreline. She received a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Ryan Poe, B.S.
Ryan received a B.S. in environmental engineering from Michigan State University in 2022. His research with the Theuerkauf Lab focused on sources of error in coastal change analyses, particularly in the Great Lakes region where water levels fluctuate rapidly. He is now pursuing an M.S. in the Department of Civil, Coastal, and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Alabama.
Nathaniel Penrod, M.S.
Nathaniel recieved a M.S. in the Department of Geography Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan University in 2023. His research with the Theuerkauf Lab focused on the ecogeomorphological impacts of lake level fluctuations on Great Lakes coastal wetlands. He received a B.A. in Geography and GIS from the University of Northern Colorado.