People

Faculty/Staff

Chris Marone - Marone’s research focuses primarily on earthquake physics, friction, and fault mechanics. Recent themes have included: 1) rate-state friction mechanics, fault healing and the application of laboratory derived friction laws to the spectrum of fault slip behaviors, 2) poromechanical properties of deforming rocks, 3) the role of dynamic stressing in frictional instability, 4) granular mechanics and the effect of particle properties on friction, jamming and unjamming, and 5) the role of shear fabric and clay mineralogy on the frictional strength and constitutive properties of fault rocks.
cjm38@psu.edu | Website
Derek Elsworth - Derek's interests are in the areas of computational mechanics, rock mechanics, and in the mechanical and transport characteristics of fractured rocks, with application to geothermal energy, the deep geological sequestration of radioactive wastes and of CO2, unconventional hydrocarbons including coal-gas, tight-gas-shales and hydrates, and instability and eruption dynamics of volcanoes.
derek.elsworth@psu.edu | Website
Eliza Richardson - Eliza is an earthquake seismologist who studies slow slip events in subduction zones, volcano-earthquake interactions and induced seismicity. She is also involved in some other projects including educating rural adults about all sides of shale gas extraction activities and impacts, learning progressions in children, cognition biases in geospatial intelligence analysis, and baseball. She is the lead faculty member for PSU's M.Ed. in Earth Sciences program which is a master's degree program aimed at mid-career high school science teachers.
eur10@psu.edu | Website
Shimin Liu - Shimin Liu joined Penn State as an Assistant Professor in 2013 after completing his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University. His expertise is in gas storage and transport mechanism in coalbed methane reservoirs and carbon sequestration in geological formations, especially in the areas of laboratory characterization of gas-coal interaction, analytical modeling of gas transportation under in situ conditions for carbonaceous rocks, volumetric behaviors of coal with gas adsorption/desorption, CO2 sequestration in coal seams and enhanced gas production.
szl3@psu.edu | Website
Jacques Rivière - Assistant Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Research Interests: Ultrasonics; Geophysics; Nonlinear acoustics; Vibrations; Nondestructive testing of materials; Structural health monitoring; Material characterization and damage assessment; Friction
riviere@psu.edu | Website
Parisa Shokouhi - Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Research interests: Stress wave propagation in fractured media, Nondestructive evaluation (linear and nonlinear ultrasonic testing), Structural health monitoring (acoustic emission), Machine learning and data analytics, Seismic metamaterials
pxs990@psu.edu | Website
Steven Swavely - Steve is responsible for maintaining the laboratory equipment and helping us develop new equipment. Steve works with our electrical systems, building electronics, hydraulic and high pressure pump service, and works with the machine shop. Our lab has a very active group that continually devleops new techniques and needs technical support. Our systems also require regular maintence, calibration, and development. In addition, an inventory of equipment and small parts is maintained, safety paperwork kept updated, and lab purchaching is done through Steve.
sls71@psu.edu

Post-Doctoral Researchers

Samson Marty - Post-Doctoral fellow.
sbm6113@psu.edu

Graduate Students

Raphael Affinito - Text coming soon
raa526752@psu.edu | Website
Clay Wood - Text coming soon
cew52@psu.edu | Website
Srisharan Shreedharan - Text coming here
srisharan@psu.edu | Website

Chas Bolton - Text coming here
dcb31@psu.edu | Website


Lab Alumni



D. Santos, MS, 2020 (Saffer): Luanda, Angola.

P. Miller, PhD student, 2019 (Saffer): University of Texas, Austin, Texas .

A. Kennigsberg, PhD, 2019 (Saffer/Marone): Chevron Corporation, Houston, Texas.

T. Sun, Postdoc, 2018-19 (Saffer): Natrual Resources Canada, Sidney, Canada

T. Witham, MS, 2019 (Marone/Shokouhi): Diamondback Energy, Midland, Texas.

K. Ryan, PhD, 2018 (Marone): ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas.

B. Madara, PhD, 2018 (Marone): Chevron Corporation, New Orleans, Louisiana.

R. Valdez, PhD, 2018 (Saffer).

J. Leeman, PhD, 2017 (co-advised by Marone & Saffer): Software Engineer, Unidata, Boulder, CO.

M. Scuderi, PhD, 2014 (Marone): Postdoctoral Researcher, La Sapienza University of Rome.

B. Culp, MS, 2014 (Marone): Schlumberger, Pittsburgh.

T. Candela, Postdoc, 2012-14 (Elsworth & Marone), TNO, Netherlands.

S. Hartog, Postdoc, 2013-14, Liverpool University.

H. Kitajima, Post-doctoral scholar, 2010-2012 (Saffer): Research scientist, AIST, Japan; will start position as Asst. Professor at Texas A&M in 2014.

R. Lauer, PhD, 2013 (Saffer): ABD; Post-doctoral researcher, Univ. California, Santa Cruz.

J. Alpern, MS, 2013, Geologist, Noble Energy Inc.

B. Kaproth, PhD, 2013, Geophysicist, Noble Energy, Denver, CO.

B. Carpenter, PhD, 2012 (co-advised by C. Marone & D. Saffer): Post-doctoral researcher, INGV, Rome.

D. King, Postdoc, 2010-2012, DOE Geothermal Program

A. Sacks, MS, 2011 (Saffer): BP Exploration, Anchorage, AK.

S. Haines, Post-doctoral scholar, 2008-2010 (co-advised by D. Saffer & C. Marone): Chevron Technology Company.

I. Song, Post-doctoral Scholar, 2006-2010 (Saffer): Research scientist, Korean Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM).

M. Ikari, PhD, 2010 (co-advised by D. Saffer & C. Marone): Post-doctoral scholar, Univ. Bremen.

A. Rathbun, PhD, 2010 (co-advised by C. Marone & D. Saffer): Post-doctoral researcher at Univ. Grenoble; now at Chevron Technology Company.

E. Perez, MS, 2010 (Saffer): ExxonMobil Exploration Company.

J. Elkhoury (Postdoc, 2008-09), Schlumberger, Cambridge, MA

I. Faoro (MS, 2007; PhD. 2009), Post-doc, Durham University

A. Niemeijer (Postdoc, 2006-2009), Utrecht

M. Popek, MS, 2009 (Saffer): Consulting hydrogeologist, Rochester, NY.

J. Samuelson (MS, 2005; PhD, 2009), Utrecht

P. Fulton, PhD, 2008 (Saffer): Research Scientist, Univ. California, Santa Cruz.

R. Skarbek, MS, 2008 (Saffer): PhD candidate, Univ. Oregon.

H. Savage (PhD, 2007), Asst. Prof. Lamont, Columbia University

M. Knuth (MS, 2006), Geomechanist, Shell Upstream Americas

A. McKiernan, MS, 2005 (Saffer): Organic farmer, Robinette Farms, NE.

M. Boettcher (PhD, 2005), Prof. UNH; Website

T. Numelin (MS, 2005), Geoscientist, Rosetta Resources

A. Payne, MS, 2004 (Saffer): Consulting hydrogeologist, Laramie WY.

J. Anthony (MS, 2004), Geologist ExxonMobil Development Company

T. Hong (MS, 2004)

G. Spinelli, Post-doctoral scholar, 2003-2004 (co-advised by M. Underwood – Univ. Missouri and D. Saffer): Associate Professor, New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology.

K. Frye (PhD, 2002); Staff Geophysicist, Shell Exploration and Production

K. Mair (Postdoc, 1997-2000), Prof. Dept. of Geosciences, The University of Oslo

E. Jensen (MS, 1999)

S. Karner (PhD, 1999), ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

G. Chen (PhD, 1998)

M. Liu (Postdoc, 1995-1997)

M. Roy (PhD, 1997), Prof. of Geophysics, University of New Mexico