Former staff, Department of Geology, University of Otago, New Zealand

Academic and research staff
General / technical staff

Academic and research staff

Ordered chronologically, latest to leave are listed first. Some Academic staff that have retired have continued on as Emeritus professors, for the purposes of this list they are listed by date retired.

2023

Dr Steven A F Smith

MSci PhD(Durh)

Structure and mechanical properties of fault zones
Fault rock microstructure
Deformation experiments
Structural Geology

2022

Dr Marianne Negrini

MSc(Zurich) PhD(Tromsø)

Electron Beam Data Technician

Dr Cathy G Rufaut

Dip. Wildlife Management(Otago) MSc(Victoria) PhD(Otago)

Geo-ecology, botany, zoology
Mine environmental issues
Land rehabilitation
Project management and outreach

Dr Amber Coste

MSci (Southampton)

Cetacean palaeobiology
Anatomy and functional morphology
Cetacean systematics and phylogeny

Google Scholar Amber Coste

Dr Sheng Fan

PhD(Otago)

Ice microstructure and mechanics
Ice deformation (creep) experiments
Cryogenic electron backscatter diffraction (cryo-EBSD) and fabric analyzer
Cryo-seismology

Google Scholar Sheng Fan
ResearchGate: Sheng Fan
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0404-1374

Dr Sophie K Gangl

MSc(BOKU, Vienna) PhD(Otago)

Heavy isotope geochemistry
Trace element geochemistry
Palaeoclimatology

Dr Gemma Kerr

BSc(Hons)(St Andrews) PhD(Otago)

Geochemistry/X-ray Lab Technician
Geochemical processes in human impacted environments
Environmental / low temperature geochemistry and mineralogy
Alluvial gold deposits

Google Scholar Gemma Kerr

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2021

Dr Jon Lindquist

MSc PhD(Otago)

Sedimentology and ichnology
On-land southern NZ Cretaceous–Tertiary basin stratigraphy

Damian Walls

MSc(Otago)

Department Administrator, Safety Officer, Lab Manager, Geochemistry/X-ray Lab Technician

Dr Rosie Cole

MSci(Durham) PhD(Otago)

Volcanology
Dyke propagation

Google Scholar Rosie P Cole
ArtFisH research

Dr Matthew Tarling

BSc(McGill) PhD(Otago)

Structural Geology
Serpentinite fault rocks
Raman spectroscopy of serpentinite
Experimental petrology

Google Scholar Matthew S Tarling
ORCID orcid.org/0000-0002-9235-5348

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2020

Dr Tobias Dürig

Dipl. phys., Dr. rer. nat.(Wurzburg)

Experimental volcanology
Generation processes of volcanic ash
Magma-water interaction
Ash plume dynamics

Google Scholar Tobias Dürig

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2019

Dr Erin Todd

Postdoctoral Fellow
BS (Penn State University), PhD (University of California Santa Cruz)

Seismotectonics
Earthquake seismology
Geodynamic modelling

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2014

Dr Matt Sagar

Teaching fellow
BscHons, PhD(Otago)

Left late 2014

While at Otago:

100- and 200-level teaching (EAOS111, GEOL112 and GEOL252)
U-Pb geochronology
⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and fission-track thermochronology
New Zealand tectonics

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2013

Dr Steven Kidder

Post Doctoral Fellow
B.S. (Univ. of Minnesota), M.S. (Univ. of Arizona)
Ph.D. (Caltech)

Left late 2013

While at Otago Steve researched:

Structural geology
lithospheric rheology
tectonics
deformation mechanisms and microstructures

Contact details: www.StevenKidderGeologist.com

Dr Martin Jutzeler

Post Doctoral Fellow
MSc (Lausanne), PhD (Tasmania)

Left in 2013

While at Otago Martin researched:

Explosive subaqueous eruptions
Volcaniclastic sedimentology

Contact details: jutzeler@gmail.com

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2012

Dr Dushan Jugum

MSc BSc (Auckland) PhD(Otago)

Left in 2012

While at Otago Dushan was in charge of:

Teaching laboratories stages 1–3
Teaching field trips stages 1–2

Contact details: dushan@geology.co.nz

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2011

Emeritus Professor Richard J Norris

MA DPhil(Oxon) FGS FRSNZ

Retired in 2011, Passed away in 2016

Research interests(while at Otago):

structural geology and tectonics
neotectonics, paleoseismology, Alpine Fault structure
NZ Cenozoic tectonics & basin evolution
deformation in the Haast Schists

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2010

Dr Phaedra Upton

DipGrad, PhD(Otago)
BSc (Canterbury)

Research interests(while at Otago):

Active deformation in the Southern Alps of New Zealand
Regional studies of fault mechanics and anisotropy in the Otago Schist
Mechanical investigations of the Macraes Mine
Fluid flow in ancient and modern orogenic belts
Interaction between erosion and tectonics, projects in Taiwan and the Himalaya
Geodynamics of the ancient orogens, the Acadian orogeny
Exhumation of ultrahigh pressure rocks of Western Norway

Contact details:

Email link (GNS)

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2009

Professor Emeritus Richard H. Sibson

BSc(Auck) MSc PhD DIC(Lond) FRS FGS FRSNZ

Retired in 2009

Research interests:

Structural analysis of the 2010-2012 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence
Seismotectonics of active compressional inversion in NE Honshu and the physical conditions of seismogenesis along subduction megathrusts
seismogenesis in the Buller region of active compressional inversion
earthquake rupturing in fluid-overpressured crust

Email rick.sibson@otago.ac.nz

Professor Francesca C. Ghisetti

Dottore in Scienze Geologiche(Catania) Fellow National Council of Research(Italy)

Research interests:

Structural analysis of fold-and-thrust belts, section balancing, stress inversions
Structural analysis of active faults
Basin evolution and fault-controlled sedimentation
Microstructural assemblages of brittle fault rocks
Field mapping of sedimentary, metamorphic and volcanic assemblages
Regional Tectonics
Tectonic geomorphology, Quaternary geology, and Neotectonics
Seismotectonics and seismic hazard assessment
Geological map editing and publishing, GIS

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