Students and postdocs
I am always keen to hear from potential graduate students who want to partake in exciting coastal research projects. Please contact me with inquiries. I am particularly keen to hear from students with a strong mathematics, physics, physical oceanography, or engineering background. However, please take note that funding postgraduate students in NZ is hard. There are University of Waikato postgraduate scholarships available (more details here) but these are extremely competitive, especially for international students (straight A grades are usually required).
Current supervision activities:
Masaya Yoshikai
Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Masaya is working on our Marsden-funded project looking at sediment transport in vegetated environments.
This photo proves that Masaya is always happy in the field, even when it’s dark and freezing cold (although aren’t mangroves meant to grow in warm places?)…
Vinay Nelli
PhD student – “Bridging the laboratory-field divide to accurately predict the evolution of coastlines“
Vinay admiring his fabulous deployment of an Aquadopp.
Shahab Abbaszadeh
PhD student – “Small scale hydrodynamic Controls on Sediment Resuspension and Transport in Vegetated Environments”
Shahab skipping the gym membership by hauling up a CTD frame
Brooke James
MSc student – “Dynamic controls on the Waihou River salt wedge”
I’m not sure whose idea it was to let Brooke behind the wheel, still I’m sure she can see where she’s going … erm … probably?
Tiago Dutra da Silva
PhD student – “Impact of fragmentation of seagrass meadows on near bed-hydrodynamics and sediment transport: implications for meadow integrity”
Tiago pretending to be stuck in the mud, but not fooling anyone.
Ali Aghazadegan
PhD student – “Shear layers, helical motions dynamics and hydraulics of river channel confluences” (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Ali Shokri)
Ali enjoying the oscillatory nature of the beach on his day off
Previous supervision activities (postdocs and graduate students):
Isabella Redder
Isabella obviously not doing fieldwork (those shoes are far too white)
Toby Beisley
MSc 2023 – “Investigating the vertical structure of sediment fluxes across an intertidal mudflat.”
Toby realising that the fun of geology fieldwork can only be surpassed by the fun of wading around in the mud
Bérengère Dejeans
PhD 2023 – “Lagrangian observations and numerical modelling of hydrodynamics, turbulence, and sediment transport in a tidal river“, co-supervised with Iain MacDonald (NIWA)
Bérengère surveying some intertidal regions and contemplating formation of ‘les flocons’ at the same time. Bérengère is now a teaching fellow in the School of Science at the University of Waikato.
Remi Chassagne
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Remi looking like he needs to chill out and relax a little more during fieldwork. Remi is now an assistant professor at le Laboratoire des Ecoulements geophysiques et industriels (LEGI) at the University of Grenoble.
Mia Richmond
MSc 2023 – “Dynamics and depositions of underwater pyroclastic flows” (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Adrian Pittari)
Mia enjoying some field work in the Chatham Islands. Mia is now a graduate engineering geologist at AECOM.
Hemanth Vundavilli
Hemanth showing it’s not just the girls who can rock the safety yellow field sunhats. Hemanth is now a postdoc at Louisana State University in the USA.
Peter de Ruiter
Peter, looking at the view wishing he was at the coast working. Peter is now a coastal consultant at 4sight consulting.
Ben Roche
MSc 2022 – “Sedimentologic and Hydrodynamic Trends Along a Modern Fluvial to Marine Transition Zone: Mud Deposition in the Lower Waihou River, Aotearoa-New Zealand“, (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Andrew la Croix)
Ben disappointed to only land a fish and not a sediment core. Ben is now a technical officer at the University of Waikato.
John Montgomery
PhD 2021 – “Attenuation of Tides and Storm Surges in Coastal Mangroves”, (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Karin Bryan).
John, ready to deploy the Aquadopp
Anya Podrumac
MSc 2020 – “Process sedimentology of the Waikato River mouth, Port Waikato, New Zealand: The depositional record of a mixed-energy river mouth” (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Andrew la Croix)
Anya wearing safety yellow while extracting some cores. Anya is now a project geologist at Bathurst Resources.
Marine le Minor
PhD 2020 – “Initiation of motion: Marine biological factors controlling sediment stability”, (University of Bremen INTERcoast student, german supervisor: Prof. Katrin Huhn).
Marine labelling tubes during her fieldwork. Marine is now a postdoctoral research fellow, at the Centre national de la recherce scientifique (CRNS), France.
Yuliana Ramirez
¡Le encantan los manglares!
Morgan Harvie
MSc 2019 – “Evaluation of the measurement capabilities of an autonomous surface vessel in coastal regions“
Morgan seen here in her favourite place – the Firth of Thames mud. Morgan is now an environmental scientist at Pattle Delamore Partners.
Erik Horstman
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (co-advised with Karin Bryan)
Known as the Dutch Machine, Erik loves 24-hr fieldwork marathons. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Twente.
Ben Norris
PhD 2019 – “Small-scale Turbulence and its Influence on Forest-scale Morphodynamics within a Coastal Mangrove Forest“
Ben, enjoying his research in the crystal clear waters of the Mekong. Ben is now an Assistant Project Scientist, at the University of California, Santa Cruz
Nicola Lovett
MSc 2017 – “Sediment transport in the Firth of Thames mangrove forest, New Zealand“
Nic loves playing with power tools in muddy environments.
She is now working in flood management in the Environmental Protection Agency, UK
Franziska Staudt
PhD 2016 – “The influence of sediment texture on the mobility of mixed beds”, (University of Bremen INTERcoast student, german supervisor: Prof. Katrin Huhn).
Franziska calculating the critical grain size ratio required to stabilise the boulder she’s sitting on.
She is now a coastal scientist for DHI in Denmark.
Steve Hunt
PhD 2016 – “The control of wind and waves on sediment transport asymmetry and the long-term morphological development of estuaries“ (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Karin Bryan).
Steve, forgetting that it’s easier to boat around on water. He is now a senior coastal scientist at Waikato Regional Council.
Holly Bredin-Grey
MSc 2016 – “Changes in flow and sediment trapping caused by bioturbating macro fauna (Austrohelice crassa)”.
Holly, offering some advice on hammering technique during her fieldwork. Holly is now an environmental consultant at Environmental Health Solutions in Australia.
Nayo (Andi) Ramli
PhD 2016 – “The impact of littoral drift and dredging on the stability of the Matakana Banks ebb tidal delta“, (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Willem de Lange).
Nayo, enjoying some snow fun. Andi is now the deputy director for logistics of marine and fisheries products at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment affairs in the Republic of Indonesia.
Shawn Harrison
PhD 2015 – “Morphodynamics of ebb-tidal deltas“ (secondary supervisor, primary supervisor: Karin Bryan).
Shawn is now working at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Mississippi.
Nadine Brunschwiler
2015 – “Dispersal and mixing of stormwater run-off plumes in the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand“.
Nadine, happy for a rare break in the rain. Nadine is now a lab technician at DSM in the USA.
Previous supervision activities (summer students and interships):
Diane Fargialla
2018 – Diane visited for a 4-month research internship from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon.
Diane worked on remote sensing of Tauranga Harbour, featured here in this photo.
Nicola Lovett
University of Waikato summer research scholar.
2015 – 2016.
Nic, celebrating that, this year at least, there is water.
Nicola Lovett
University of Waikato summer research scholar.
2014 – 2015.
Nicola, who signed up for a project on coastal oceanography, wondering why there’s no water.
Beth Scarrow
University of Waikato summer research scholar.
2013 – 2014.
Beth, escaping from the lab during her summer project.
Alex Garcia-Cousteau
2013 – Alex visited for a 6-month research internship from Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France.
Seen here, about to take some CTD casts.