Hello!
My name is Alex Simpson, and I am currently a Master's student at the University of Oregon, studying Earth Sciences.
I am working to model seasonally draining lakes in the Cascades in Leif Karlstrom's lab. By measuring how much water fills these lakes and how fast they drain, we hope to better understand the hydraulic properties of the High Cascades, and characterize an understudied aquifer. But you can read all about that in my research page.
While my research currently focuses on hydrogeology, I am interested in other fields of the earth sciences. I have a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada, Reno in Geophysics. The field of geophysics really appealed to me when I was in school, I thought it was a fantastic intersection of two subjects I loved, math and geology. I am especially fond of exploration geophysics, I worked for the Centers for Transformative Environmental Monitoring Programs (CTEMPS) the summer after I graduated from UNR as a field hand, helping to prep materials for the Applied Geophysics class at UNR, among other things.
Besides geophysics and hydrogeology, the other sub-discipline of the earth science that appealed to me in school was geomorphology. As such, I often hang out with Josh Roering's lab group, and I am a common sight at their lab meetings and get-togethers. However, I am not working with Josh on any projects.
When I'm not working on research or grading labs, I like to do a number of other activities. I go to the trivia night at Drop Bear Brewery in Eugene, Oregon every Wednesday. I like to make my own wine and mead on the side. Occasionally you'll see me riding a bike, at a climbing gym, or on a standup paddleboard. Mostly I like hanging out with my friends.