Chair’s Welcome
Greetings and welcome to the Fall 2025/Spring 2026 department newsletter! As we wrap up the Spring 2026 semester, we are pleased to share a selection of exciting stories about our award-winning faculty, student success stories, introductions to new faculty Tammy Yuan and Joe Hu, and other news and updates. I couldn’t be prouder of our students, faculty, and staff who make all these successes possible. Check out our website for how to get involved with EAS, and please consider supporting EAS by visiting our giving page.
Take care and Go Coogs!
Tom Lapen
Chair, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Honoring Dr. Rosalie Maddocks – Celebrating Her Contributions to EAS
The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences mourns the passing of Dr. Rosalie Maddocks, a beloved faculty member who joined UH in 1967 and devoted nearly six decades to teaching, research, and mentorship in micropaleontology. Read the department’s remembrance of Dr. Maddocks and a student’s tribute to her enduring impact in the EAS Newsletter.
In This Issue
Awards & Honors
Student Spotlight
UH Alumni Leads Study to Refine Paleoclimate Signals in Caribbean Cave
Gabriel Lopez has published new research in a special issue of the International Journal of Speleology.
Ph.D. Student Receives GSA Lipman Grant to Explore Critical Minerals in the Karakoram Mountains
Hussain is using the GSA Lipman Student Research Grant to investigate lithium- and rare-earth-rich pegmatites in the Karakoram Mountains.
Decoding Earth’s Hidden Secrets: Strong Anisotropy in Subducting Slabs Unlocks Deep-Earth Mysteries
Appini’s work provides new insight into the dynamics of mantle deformation and slab structure.
UH Researcher Examines How a Single Freeze-Thaw Cycle Weakens Arctic Soils
Baker-Stahl’s work provides experimental insight into how freeze-thaw cycles alter sediment strength, with implications for Arctic landscape change under warming conditions.
Raymond Kwaku Twumasi Oware Places Second in AMS Poster Competition
Graduate student recognized for research on storm-resolving model performance over Houston.
Student Field Journal: FIELDGeo 2026
Jamie Jetton, M.S., Geology, chronicles nearly 70 students and faculty on an NSF-funded winter field experience across southern New Mexico, exploring billions of years of Earth history.