Accessibility Skip to Global Navigation Skip to Local Navigation Skip to Content Skip to Search Skip to Site Map Menu

Our people

Ko Tātou

Head of Department

Andrew Gorman smAssociate Professor Andrew R Gorman

BSc(Calgary) PhD(Br Col)

  • Geophysics
  • Crustal controlled-source seismology
  • Marine seismology
  • Gas hydrates

    • ^ Top of page

Louise Schumacher 2022 thumb 1xLouise Schumacher

(NZDipBus; DipCeramicArts; GradDipTchg)

Client Services Administrator (Shared Services)

  • Administration
  • Enquiries

Email geology@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7519

^ Top of page

Teaching staff

Marco Brenna smDr Marco Brenna

BSc(W Aust) PhD(Massey)

  • Igneous petrology and geochemistry
  • Volcanology
  • Magma ascent dynamics

    • ^ Top of page

Sophie Briggs thumbDr Sophie Briggs

BSc(Hons)(Otago) PhD(UCSB)

  • 100- and 200-level teaching
  • Petrology (igneous and metamorphic)
  • Geochemistry
  • Geochronology
  • Tectonics

    • ^ Top of page

Doug MacKenzie 2022 thumb 1xDr Doug MacKenzie

BSc(Toronto) MSc PhD(Otago) MAusIMM CP(GEO)

  • Economic geology
  • Orogenic gold deposits
  • Structure and fluid flow in metamorphic belts

    • ^ Top of page

Candace Martin smDr Candace E Martin

BS(N Carolina) MPhil PhD(Yale)

  • Environmental geology
  • Biogeochemical cycles
  • Radiogenic isotope and trace element geochemistry

    • ^ Top of page

Chris Moy imageAssociate Professor Christopher Moy

BSc(Union College, Schenectady) MSc(Syracuse) PhD(Stanford)

  • Paleoclimatology
  • Sedimentology
  • Geochemistry

    • ^ Top of page

Christian Ohneiser smDr Christian Ohneiser

MSc PhD(Otago)

  • Paleomagnetism
  • Paleoclimate/ocean reconstructions
  • Antarctic climate evolution

    • ^ Top of page

Mike Palin smDr J. Michael Palin

BA(Calif State Fullerton) MS(New Mexico Tech) PhD(Yale)

  • Mineralogy and petrology
  • Geochronology and isotope geology
  • Mineral deposits

    • ^ Top of page

Dave Prior smProfessor David J Prior

BSc(Wales) PhD(Leeds)

  • Grain Boundary Sliding (GBS) and Earth Rheology
  • The Alpine Fault Zone, South Island, New Zealand
  • Ice microstructure and mechanics

^ Top of page

Christina Riesselman smDr Christina Riesselman

BA (Nebraska-Lincoln) PhD (Stanford)

  • Cenozoic paleoceanography and paleoclimate
  • Antarctic climate evolution
  • Micropaleontology (diatoms)
  • Geochemical proxies of paleoenvironmental change

    • ^ Top of page

James Scott smProfessor James Scott

PhD(Otago)

  • Meteorites, solar nebula and planetary geology
  • Earth’s mantle composition, history, melting
  • Metamorphism, mineralisation and fluid flow
  • Subduction zones and element redistribution
  • Environmental geochemistry
  • Zealandia’s tectonics

    • ^ Top of page

Claudine Stirling image smallProfessor Claudine Stirling

PhD(ANU), BSc(Hons)(Well)

  • Isotope Geochemistry
  • Biogeochemical cycles of trace metals
  • Paleoceanography and paleoclimatology
  • Environmental Geochemistry

^ Top of page

Mark Stirling 2019 thumbProfessor Mark W Stirling

BSc MSc(Otago) PhD(Nevada)
Chair of Earthquake Science

  • Multidisciplinary seismic hazard modelling
  • Seismotectonics
  • Earthquake statistics
  • Tectonic geomorphology

    • ^ Top of page

James White smProfessor James D L White

BA BSc(TCU) MSc(Missouri) PhD(UCSB)

  • Subaqueous and subglacial eruptions
  • Explosive basaltic eruptions
  • Shallow intrusions
  • Volcaniclastic sedimentology

    • ^ Top of page

Research staff

Catherine BeltranDr Catherine Beltran

MSc PhD(UPMC Sorbonne Universite)
Organic Geochemistry Research Facility

  • Paleoceanography and paleoclimates
  • Sedimentology
  • Organic geochemistry

Email catherine.beltran@otago.ac.nz
Google Scholar Catherine Beltran

^ Top of page

Rebecca McLeod 2022 imageDr Rebecca McLeod

PhD(Otago)
Senior Research Fellow

Email rebecca.mcleod@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Marshall Palmer 2021 imageDr Marshall Palmer

BSc(Hons) PhD(Otago)
Assistant Research Fellow
Geochemical assessment of element mobility between ultramafic and quartzofeldspathic rocks along the Livingstone Fault

  • Scheelite isotope and trace element geochemistry
  • LA-ICPMS
  • Mineral deposits
  • metamorphic petrology

Email marshall.palmer@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Malcolm Reid image smallDr Malcolm Reid

Scientific Officer, Centre for Trace Element Analysis

Email mreid@chemistry.otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Jeffrey Robinson imageDr Jeffrey Robinson

PhD (Otago)

Assistant Research Fellow

  • Paleontology
  • Archivist of Geology Museum Fossil Collections

Email jeff.robinson@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Postdoctoral Fellows

Matt Druce image smallDr Matthew Druce

PhD(Otago)

  • Isotope geochemistry
  • Paleoceanography and paleoclimatology
  • Trace metal biogeochemical cycles

Email matt.druce@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Jack Williams image 2021Dr Jack Williams

PhD(Otago)

  • Seismotectonics
  • Seismic hazard modelling
  • Structural geology

Email jack.williams@otago.ac.nz
Google Scholar Jack N Williams
ORCID orcid.org/0000-0001-6669-308X

Top of page

Dr Jie WuJie Wu image

PhD(Auckland)

  • Igneous petrology
  • Geochemistry

Email jie.wu@otago.ac.nz
Google Scholar Jie Wu

Top of page

Emeritus Professors and honorary staff

Alan Cooper smEmeritus Professor Alan F Cooper

BSc(Sheff) PhD(Otago)

  • Metamorphic mineralogy and petrology of the Haast Schists
  • Petrogenesis of carbonatites and the NZ lamprophyre dyke swarms
  • Alpine Fault structure and activity
  • Antarctica

    • ^ Top of page

Dave Craw smEmeritus Professor Dave Craw

BSc PhD(Otago) MSc(Calgary) FRSNZ

  • Economic geology
  • Structure and mineralization in the Haast Schists
  • Fluid flow in orogenic belts

^ Top of page

Ewan Fordyce smEmeritus Professor R Ewan Fordyce

BSc PhD(Cant) FRSNZ

  • Vertebrate paleobiology
  • Systematics and phylogeny of Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
  • Cretaceous-Cenozoic paleontology and stratigraphy
  • Paleoceanography and paleoclimates

^ Top of page

Daphne LeeHonorary Associate Professor Daphne E Lee

BSc PhD(Otago)

  • Cenozoic paleobotany and paleoclimate
  • Invertebrate paleontology (brachiopods)
  • Cenozoic stratigraphy
  • Earth science education

    • ^ Top of page

Felix MarxHonorary Senior Lecturer Felix G Marx

MSci(Bristol) PhD(Otago)

  • Paleontology
  • Marine mammal biology and evolution
  • Baleen whales

Google Scholar Felix G. Marx
ORCID orcid.org/0000-0002-1029-4001

^ Top of page

Nick MortimerHonorary Research Professor Nick Mortimer

BSc, ARSM(Imperial College) PhD(Stanford) FRSNZ
Principal Scientist, GNS Science, Dunedin

  • Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary petrology
  • Tectonics and stratigraphy
  • Regional geology of Zealandia and Gondwana
  • Scientific writing, graphics and editing

^ Top of page

Rick Sibson smProfessor Emeritus Richard H Sibson

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

  • 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

    • ^ Top of page

Virginia Toy 2021 imageHonorary Associate Professor Virginia G Toy

BSc MSc(Auck) MPhil(ANU) PhD (Otago)

  • Structure of shear zones
  • Microstructure and texture analysis
  • Coseismic fault rocks
  • SW Pacific tectonics

    • ^ Top of page

Gary Wilson smHonorary Professor Gary S Wilson

BSc BMus PhD(Victoria)
General Manager Strategy, GNS Science

  • Palaeomagnetism
  • Integrated chronostratigraphy
  • Palaeoceanography
  • Palaeoclimatology
  • Stratigraphy, sedimentology and palaeoenvironments'

Professional staff

David Barr image smallDavid Barr

Centre for Trace Element Analysis – Instrument Support Technician

Email david.barr@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Rachael Baxter imageRachael Baxter

BA, MSc (Otago), MPhil (Cambridge)

Research Assistant / Laboratory Supervisor

  • Volcanology
  • Magma storage system modelling
  • Igneous petrology

Email rachael.baxter@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Hamish Bowman smHamish Bowman

BA (SUNY)
Computing and Numerical Simulation Technician

  • High performance computing support
  • Numerical modelling and programming
  • Electronics and scientific instrumentation design and fabrication

    • ^ Top of page

Bob Dagg imageBob Dagg

BSc MSc(Otago)
Otago Analytical Core Repository

  • iTrax
  • Geotek
  • Coring equipment
  • Geophysical equipment

Email bob.dagg@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Ray MarxRay Marx

BSc MSc(Otago)
Safety Officer / Lab Manager / Field Coordinator

  • Department Health and Safety Officer
  • Department Lab Manager
  • Coordinating field trips

Email ray.marx@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 5695

^ Top of page

Fay Nelson sm

Dr Faye Nelson

BSC MSc(Lethbridge) PhD(Otago)
Otago Paleomagnetic Research Facility – Lab Supervisor

  • Paleomagnetic methods
  • Quaternary climate change

    • ^ Top of page

Dianne NyhofDianne Nyhof

BSc PGDipSci(Otago)
Curator / Teaching Support / Outreach

  • Curating department collections
  • Teaching support for undergraduate classes
  • Outreach coordinator

Email dianne.nyhof@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7513

^ Top of page

Brent Pooley smBrent Pooley

BSc(Otago)
Physical Geology Laboratories Manager

  • thin sectioning and polishing of rock samples
  • equipment maintenance

Email brent.pooley@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7502

^ Top of page

Stephen Read smDr Stephen Read

BSc(Hons) DipGrad PhD(Otago)
Geological Mapping Technician

  • mapping equipment and software
  • imagery equipment and software
  • illustration software
  • 3D visualization, modelling and analysis

    • ^ Top of page

Marcus Richards 2021 imageMarcus Richards

MSc(Otago)
Paleontology Curator

  • Paleontology and Biostratigraphy
  • Fossil Penguin Systematics and Paleobiology
  • Fossil Preparation
  • Curation and conservation of collections
  • Geology Museum

Email marcus.richards@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7506

^ Top of page

Sophie White smSophie White

BA(Otago)
Paleontology Lab Manager and Paleontology Collections Manager

  • Fossil Preparation
  • Curation and conservation of collections
  • Geology Museum

Email sophie.white@otago.ac.nz

^ Top of page

Shared Services staff

Sharmaine Elley imageSharmaine Elley

Finance Associate – Shared Services

Email sharmaine.elley@otago.ac.nz
Room 1n19 (Thursday and Friday)

^ Top of page

Rosie Collier imageRosie Collier

Lead Administrator– Shared Services

  • Marine Science, Surveying, Geology

Email rosie.collier@otago.ac.nz
Mob +64 21 279 2079
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9:30am–4:30pm

^ Top of page