Postdoctoral Researchers
The Berkeley Geochronology Center awards Postdoctoral Fellowships for exceptional young scientists to conduct research in the development or application of state-of-the-art geochronological techniques. These fellowships are awarded competitively and are internally funded. The BGC has world-class laboratories for Ar-Ar, U-Th-He, U-Th-Pb, 230Th/U, and other (TIMS) radiogenic isotope dating methods, and a modern paleomagnetic laboratory. In addition, the BGC is part of the stimulating intellectual community of the San Francisco Bay area, which includes the University of California, Stanford University, and the Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Candidates will typically be interested in working on problems that push the limits of one or more of these or related methods, as well as addressing a question of unusual significance to geology, planetary science, paleoanthropology or archeology. Candidates will be expected to have a strong background in isotope geochronology, isotope geochemistry, or paleomagnetism.
![Guleed_Ali.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ff0ca3_25f9a87a256c437189e78d8f314471a8~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_106,y_0,w_429,h_427/fill/w_269,h_268,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Guleed_Ali.jpeg)
Guleed Ali
Ph.D., Columbia University
The cornerstone of my work are the footprints of ancient lakes of the western US. These lakes submerged many of the valleys across the region under dozens or even hundreds of feet of water, contradicting the stark image of water shortage that one sees today. The contradiction leads one to conclude that the climate must have been wetter to sustain the lakes. That much is clear. However, what is not clear is precisely when these lakes and wetter climate existed. Thus during my time at BGC, I will combine field geology methods and the uranium series dating method to determine the timing of lake level fluctuations more precisely.
![Marie-Bergelin.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ff0ca3_aa753ba3b1eb4ae2a3790a0c7c0a43ef~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_323,w_3000,h_2997/fill/w_269,h_269,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Marie-Bergelin.jpg)
Marie Bergelin
Ph.D., University of North Dakota
There are many challenges and limitations in applications of cosmogenic-nuclide geochemistry to ice sheet change, Cenozoic geological history, and surface process studies in Antarctica. My research focuses on addressing these challenges through various research tasks and experiments that involve (i) “virtual” mineral separation by exploiting variable noble gas diffusion kinetics, (ii) improving the ability to distinguish between cosmogenic and non-cosmogenic inventories of nuclides such as 3He, 21Ne, and 36Cl, and (iii) establish the feasibility and reliability of multiple-nuclide measurements in the Antarctic Ferrar dolerite
![Jack Carter](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ff0ca3_706f5f08393a4ba9b4c889b7fca01a06~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_234,w_3000,h_2997/fill/w_269,h_269,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Jack_Carter.jpg)
Jack Carter
Ph.D., Scottish Universities of Environmental Research Centre - SUERC
My research centres on the improvement of the precision, accuracy, and applicability of 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. My work involves researching ways to improve existing irradiation sources and exploring alternate sources of neutrons that are a necessity for 40Ar/39Ar dating. Another area of interest is in refining the decay constant of 40K which is the foundation of the 40Ar/39Ar method by developing methods to detect, and then directly measuring, the decay constant. I also develop analytical modeling tools, using Bayesian frameworks, which allow the 40Ar/39Ar geochronometer to be used as a bulk fine-grained sediment provenance tool.
![Chistopher-Kinsley.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ff0ca3_5cdc588271e5466cb84967c697e1150f~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_500,w_3000,h_2989/fill/w_270,h_269,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Chistopher-Kinsley.jpg)
Christopher Kinsley
Ph.D., MIT Department of Earth
Lake sediments and speleothems found in caves are important archives used for reconstructing terrestrial paleoclimate. Key to interpretation of climate proxy records, is a well-constrained understanding of the age-depth relationship in these archives. My research focuses on using U-series geochronology to build age-depth models with which to anchor paleoclimate proxy records. My time at BGC will be spent working on western US lake and cave sites targeting the Last Interglacial, a period when global temperatures last approximated those predicted for the coming century. This will involve development of high-precision mass spectrometry methods for small samples and careful sample screening and selection criteria to be developed at each site of interest.
![Joe Tulenko](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ff0ca3_118cafce782f477487bd42a06ce8fbc0~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_4,y_0,w_473,h_480/fill/w_270,h_274,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Joe_Tulenk.jpeg)
Joe Tulenko
Ph.D., University at Buffalo NY
The cosmogenic-nuclide community has generated over ten thousand measurements over the last few decades that record the timing and position of past glaciers, and I am helping to build and manage an ever-growing database of those measurements. The primary goal of my research is to mine the database for synoptic-scale patterns of past glacier change and give others the tools to do their own investigations. Highlighting patterns of past glacier change may provide an improved geological perspective for the alarming changes in the cryosphere that we are observing today. I am also planning on generating a new chronology of past glacier change in Lassen Volcanic National Park based on measurements of cosmogenic He-3 from glacial deposits.
Postdoctoral Researchers - Alumni
![Alyssa Abby](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_34cef296715645cf9d405712f53174f6~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_152,y_138,w_177,h_177/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Abby_Alyssa3.jpg)
Alyssa Abbey
2018 - 2020
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Now at California State University, Long Beach
![Luis Gilbert Beotas](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_f9b6af9f06ec4b9b90be43a91d15bf0c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Beotas_Luis_Gilbert.png)
Luis Gilbert Beotas
2008 - 2010
Ph.D.
Now at University of Barcelona, Spain
![Kim Blisniuk](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_f962764178fa41668fce3a98742295fc~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_38,w_340,h_340/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Blisniuk_Kim.png)
Kim Blisniuk
2012 - 2014
Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Now at California State University at San Jose, CA
![Steve Denyszyn](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_5fffe338848e41af80fb66157ce5b790~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_3,y_0,w_372,h_376/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Denyszyn_Steve.png)
Steve Denyszyn
2008 - 2011
Ph.D., University of Toronto, Canada
Now at University of Western Australia/ Centre for Exploration
![Vera Assis Fernandes](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_69da3ef08f6241fdb579881b329559b8~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_333,h_333/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Fernandez_Vera_Assis.png)
Vera Assis Fernandes
2007 - 2009
Ph.D., The University of Manchester, UK
Now at The University of Manchester, UK
![Matthew Fox](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_7d43be3167994c639af2a87de925af96~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_357,h_357/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Fox_Mathew.png)
Matthew Fox
2013 - 2016
Ph.D., ETH-Zürich, Switzerland
Now at Earth Sciences, University College London, London, England
![Jonathan Glen](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_488ff0f17b8a47668b2f34d89f4b5f80~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_2,y_0,w_370,h_374/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Glen_Jonathan.png)
Jonathan Glen
1994 - 1999
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz
Now at US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
![Griffis_Neil.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_65d858be1eae42898dd6da44d0519368~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_6,w_327,h_328/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Griffis_Neil.png)
Neil Griffis
2018 - 2020
Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Now at US Geological Survey,
Denver, CO
![Ryan Ickert](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_fdeb8d33b587496a8a4ad47e8929ed11~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_333,h_333/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Ickert_Ryan.png)
Ryan Ickert
2012 - 2015
Ph.D., Australia National University in Canberra
Now at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
![Fred Jourdan](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_240c69598c914944b55d4402c465afb2~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_376,h_376/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Jourdan_Fred.png)
Fred Jourdan
2005 - 2007
Ph.D., University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis
Now at Curtain University of Technology, Perth, Australia
![C. Brenhin Keller](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_e578535c594c4617b836569f74ffa09b~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_357,h_357/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Keller_C_Brenhin.png)
C. Brenhin Keller
2016 - 2019
Ph.D., Princeton University, NJ
Now at Dartmouth University, NH
![Jennifer Matzel](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_7b9a72df85834aa79f4ccd6b15ef59ae~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_370,h_370/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Matzel_Jennifer.png)
Jennifer Matzel
2004 - 2007
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Now at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore, CA
![Mertz_Regina.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_a762506af86f4c2a9c9f75cae1fa1336~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_55,w_323,h_323/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Mertz_Regina.png)
Regina Mertz
2011 - 2012
Ph.D., Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz
Now at Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz
![Dieter F. Mertz](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_f9cfe5c5441045348433e014d2fefc17~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_22,w_334,h_334/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Mertz_Dieter_F.png)
Dieter F. Mertz
1993 - 1994
Ph.D.
Now at Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
![Sabastien Nomade](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_6c432c8e3099465fa6d0557fce0ce6f7~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Nomade_Sebastien.png)
Sabastien Nomade
2001 - 2005
Ph.D., Institute des Sciences de la Terre d’Orleans, France
Now at Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et l'Environnment, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
![Richard Phillips](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_f251fea1e2a04355b3bb17d32e68ff6b~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_35,w_342,h_342/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Phillips_Richard.png)
Richard Phillips
2004 - 2006
Ph.D., University of Oxford, UK
Now Head of Sixth Form at Loretto School, Edinburgh, UK
![Rebecca Reverman](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_1344c37538fe400588d00a6d097465c1~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_34,y_26,w_262,h_262/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Reverman_Rebecca.png)
Rebecca Reverman
2014 - 2014
Ph.D., Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland
![Daniel Rutte](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_7cb43d99b71f48d69be8c2393a33f4f8~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_361,h_361/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Rutte_Daniel.png)
Daniel Rutte
2015 - 2017
Ph.D., Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Now at University of Bonn, Germany
![Justin Simon](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_e42d08da93bc4e7a8d2731a2ee28d31e~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_346,h_346/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Simon_Justin.png)
Justin Simon
2006 - 2009
Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles, CA
Now at NASA - Center for Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochronology, Houston, Texas
![Perry Spector](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_a6bd6035df184c8aace09f0d47f7c36a~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_51,y_0,w_549,h_549/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Spector_Perry2.png)
Perry Spector
2018 - 2020
Ph.D., University of Washington
Now at Act Zero & IntelliGO Network Inc., Seattle, WA
![Sonia Tikko-Schantz](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_f23baa5e8ca54c41b14991653ae07e45~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_14,y_1,w_314,h_314/fill/w_68,h_68,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Tikko-Schantz_Sonia.png)
Sonia Tikko-Schantz
2014 - 2015
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Now at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
![Alka Tripathy-Lang](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_f34b40a669b04e229f095b148d197275~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_44,w_334,h_334/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Tripathy-Lang_Alka.png)
Alka Tripathy-Lang
2013 - 2018
Ph.D., Arizona State University
Contractor for the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) in Arizona
![Nadia Vogel](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_82dad4d57b60467e806fdd294617c72b~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_335,h_335/fill/w_67,h_67,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Vogel_Nadia.png)
Nadia Vogel
2003 - 2004
Ph.D., Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich, Switzerland
Now at Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Sciences & Technology, Dubendorf, Switzerland
![Andrea Marzoli](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75d445_4c523a4b4e654ba1a52ebdd5274e839f~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_58,w_351,h_351/fill/w_65,h_65,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Marzoli_Andrea.png)
Andrea Marzoli
1997 - 1998
Ph.D., University of Padova, Italy
Now at University of Padova, Italy