MS Thesis or Project Titles
A Thesis or Project is the Capstone for the Research MS in Earth Sciences degree offered by the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences (EEGS). A Capstone is written by the MS student in consultation with their MS Committee Chair (their primary research advisor), and fully describes their study of a topic in Earth Sciences. MS Committees are 3-4 faculty with expertise in the Capstone topic and evaluate the Capstone research that the MS student completed. The Committee Chair is the primary research advisor and usually has the most direct expertise in the research topic the student is exploring. Note that some committee members are not in the EEGS, and are simply noted as “not EEGS”. Also, some EEGS faculty listed below are no longer in our department; see our current EEGS faculty if you’re curious who is here. All Theses are archived in our department and university library, while Projects are archived in the department.
So read the Capstone titles below to get a glimpse of what recent MS Earth Sciences graduates worked on!
| Student | Year | Thesis/Project Title | Committee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Javon Jackson | 2025 | Taphonomy of Reworked Vertebrate Fossils from the Yorktown and Pee Dee Formations and the Black Creek Group in Green Mill Run: Pitt County, North Carolina | Scott Hippensteel (Chair), Craig Allan, Bill Garcia |
| Lindsey Wilson | 2025 | North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Diet Depends on Stream Flow, Water Quality, and Landscape Urbanization | Sara Gagne (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Adam Reitzel (not EEGS) |
| Fatima Ghaleb | 2025 | Examining Water Quality and Socio-Economic Effects In An Urbanizing Sunbelt City | Fushcia-Ann Hoover (Chair), Sandra Clinton, David Vinson |
| Ethan O’Neill | 2025 | The Sensitivity of the Impact of Cell Mergers on Supercell Thunderstorms Before Versus After Sunset | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Sophie Barnett | 2025 | Macro to Micro: Anthropogenic Litter Accumulation in Urban Restored Floodplains | Sandra Clinton (Chair), Sara Gagne, Youngseob Eum, Anne Jefferson (not EEGS) |
| Elizabeth Chappelear | 2025 | Quantifying Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions around Beaver Dam Analogs in the North Carolina Foothills | Sandra Clinton (Chair), David Vinson, Craig Allan |
| Logan Brooks | 2025 | Evaluating Enhanced Rock Weathering with Silicon Isotopes | Drew Syverson (Chair), David Vinson, Missy Eppes, Eric Mckenzie (not EEGS) |
| Jared Caylor | 2025 | Comparing the Offshore to Onshore Change in the Outer Rainband Convective Environments for Landfalling Tropical Cyclones | Matt Eastin (Chair), Casey Davenport, Terry Shirley |
| Justin Coley | 2024 | Landscape Position, Ferrous Mineral Oxidation, and Dissolved Oxygen: a Critical Zone Perspective to the Inner Piedmont Terrane | David Vinson (Chair), Missy Eppes, Andy Bobyarchick |
| Carolina Cardona | 2024 | Extending El Nino-Southern Oscillation Temperature and Precipitation Teleconnections back to 1850 | Brian Magi (Chair), Matt Eastin, Jack Scheff |
| Jasen Greco | 2024 | Idealized Simulations of Supercell Thunderstorms Interacting with Stationary Boundaries | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Mai Vang | 2024 | Impact of Forestry Practices on Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions along Forest to Wetland Gradients | Craig Allan (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Carl Trettin (not EEGS) |
| Jamil Millner Jr. | 2024 | The Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of the Hydrology and Water Quality Associated with an Urban Beaver Pond Complex | Craig Allan (Chair), Sandra Clinton, David Vinson |
| Zed Bates-Norris | 2024 | Rainstorms and Refugees: Climate Change-Related Flooding Outcomes for Vulnerable Communities of North Carolina | Jack Scheff (Chair), Benita Staples, Tina Shull (not EEGS) |
| Nora Vaughan | 2023 | Holocene Evolution of Low-Order Watershed Hillslopes and Soils in the southeastern Piedmont, NC USA | Missy Eppes (Chair), David Vinson, Pat Fall, Andy Bobyarchick |
| Allison Van Ormer | 2023 | Long-Term Changes in Seasonal Temperature Extremes Worldwide | Brian Magi (Chair), Matt Eastin, Jack Scheff |
| Rachael Rowe | 2023 | Evaluating Invertebrate Community Diversity Using eDNA for Biomonitoring in Freshwater Ecosystems | Sandra Clinton (Chair), Sara Gagne, Adam Reitzel (not EEGS) |
| Lauren Decker | 2023 | Characterizing the Growth in Spatial Thinking Abilities in Meteorology Students across the Curriculum | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Evan Blomquist | 2023 | Urban Form and Air Quality: A Fine-Scale Look at 22 Major US Cities | Gang Chen (Chair), Matt Eastin, Jean-Claude Thill |
| Matthew Yankech | 2022 | Depositional Environments and Timing of Formation of the Lilesville Gravels, Anson County, NC | John Diemer (Chair), Andy Bobyarchick, Missy Eppes |
| Matthew Toadvine | 2022 | Comparing the Tornado Environments Among East Coast and Gulf Coast Landfalling Tropical Cyclones | Matt Eastin (Chair), Casey Davenport, Terry Shirley |
| Roger Riggin | 2022 | Idealized Simulations of Supercell Thunderstorms Interacting with the Appalachian Mountains | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Jordan Lontai | 2022 | Retention of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants and Their Impact on Receiving Streams | Craig Allan (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Missy Eppes |
| Lauren Anderson | 2022 | Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of Water Quality and Ecosystem Function in Beaver Ponds and Wetlands versus Streams | Sandra Clinton (Chair), Sara Gagne, Paola Lopez-Duarte (not EEGS) |
| Andrew Robinson | 2022 | Using Downscaled Climate Model Output to Examine Climate Change in North Carolina | Brian Magi (Chair), Jack Scheff, Deb Thomas |
| Sarah Purpura | 2021 | Environmental Evolution of Supercells Interacting with the Appalachian Mountains | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Hannah Partridge | 2021 | The Local and Landscape Features Associated with Roost Attendance and Nesting Success in Urban Black Vulture (Coragyps Atratus) and Turkey Vulture (Cathartes Aura) Populations | Sara Gagne (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Gang Chen |
| Maya Robinson | 2021 | Constraining the Northern Hemisphere Mid-Latitude Jet Response to Climate Change Using the Difference Between Arctic and Subtropical Warming | Jack Scheff (Chair), Brian Magi, Casey Davenport |
| Katherine McKeown | 2021 | Radar Characteristics of Observed Supercell Thunderstorms Interacting with the Appalachian Mountains | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Julianna Horgan | 2021 | Relationship between Saprolite-Hosted Groundwater Geochemistry, Baseflow, and Weathering Depth at Redlair Observatory, A Critical Zone Research Site on the North Carolina Piedmont | David Vinson (Chair), Missy Eppes, Craig Allan |
| Lindsay Hochstatter | 2021 | Spatial and Temporal Variability of Tornadic Versus Non-Tornadic High-Shear, Low-CAPE Environments | Casey Davenport (Chair), Terry Shirley, Keith Sherburn (not EEGS) |
| Jacqueline Hartman | 2021 | The Impact of Stream Restoration on Macroinvertebrate Communities in an Urban Forested Watershed | Sandra Clinton (Chair), David Vinson, Sara Gagne |
| Nicholas Golden | 2020 | Robust Correlation between Northern Hemisphere Jet Response and Arctic-Minus-Subtropical Warming across CMIP5 Models | Jack Scheff (Chair), Matt Eastin, Brian Magi |
| Cody Burroughs | 2021 | Extreme Dewpoint Trends are Increasing across much of the United States | Jack Scheff (Chair), Matt Eastin, Brian Magi |
| Kaitlynn Bryan-Skaggs | 2021 | Removal of Metals from Highway Stormwater Runoff Using Enhanced Filtration Media Amendments | David Vinson (Chair), Craig Allan, Mei Sun (not EEGS) |
| Brandon Jones | 2021 | Hydrochemical Transport in a Low Order Precambrian Shield Watershed | Craig Allan (Chair), David Vinson, Sandra Clinton |
| Richard Sirico | 2020 | Investigation of the Environmental Influences Related to the Precipitation Structure of Supercell Thunderstorms and their Evolution | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Samantha Berberich | 2020 | A Chronosequence of Cracking in Mill Creek, California | Missy Eppes (Chair), Andy Bobyarchick, Brian Magi |
| Anna Stuck | 2020 | Development of a Forecasting Technique for the Charlotte Urban Heat Island Intensity | Matt Eastin (Chair), Casey Davenport, Terry Shirley |
| Rachel Cucinotta | 2019 | Diagnosing Thunderstorm Induced Power Outages with the Rapid Refresh Model (RAP) | Matt Eastin (Chair), Brian Magi, Terry Shirley |
| Rebecca Black | 2019 | The Relationship between Hydrologic and Macroinvertebrate Metrics along an Urbanization Gradient in Piedmont Headwater Streams | Sandra Clinton (Chair), Craig Allan, Sara Gagne |
| Austin Mansfield | 2019 | The Temporal Evolution of Tornadic and Non-Tornadic VORTEX2 Near-Storm Environments | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Connor Grabus | 2019 | Hydrochemical Trends in a Developing Piedmont Watershed | Craig Allan (Chair), David Vinson, Sandra Clinton |
| George Xanthos | 2018 | Ground Penetrating Radar Mapping of Stratigraphy of Fluvial Sequences: Lilesville, NC | Andy Bobyarchick (Chair), John Diemer, Scott Hippensteel |
| Warren Pettee | 2018 | A Statistical Method of Fog Forecasting in North Carolina | Matt Eastin (Chair), Brian Magi, Terry Shirley |
| Grant Paton | 2018 | The Traits that Predict Forest Bird Responses to Urbanization Intensity | Sara Gagne (Chair), Andrew Wilson (not EEGS), Wei-Ning Xiang, Aaron Kampe (not EEGS) |
| Stephanie Edwards | 2018 | Analyzing the Use of Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing Data for Lightning Estimations in the Southeastern United States | Brian Magi (Chair), Matt Eastin, Casey Davenport |
| Payal Bordia | 2018 | Hydrochemistry of a Developing Piedmont Watershed | Craig Allan (Chair), David Vinson, Sandra Clinton |
| Bryan Farley | 2018 | Trace Gas Emissions from Tidal Freshwater Streams in Coastal South Carolina | Craig Allan (Chair), Carl Trettin, Sandra Clinton |
| Cody Ledbetter | 2018 | Analyzing Supercell Intensity Changes in a Heterogeneous Environment in the VORTEX2 Supercell Pair in Southeastern Colorado on 11 June 2009 | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Suzanne Ching | 2018 | Acoustic Emission and Environmental Monitoring of Two Natural Granite Boulders: Semi-Arid Vs. Temperate Environment | Missy Eppes (Chair), Andy Bobyarchick, Brian Magi |
| Jordan Arey | 2018 | Stratigraphy and Soils of Fluvial Terraces on the Catawba River, NC and SC: Landscape Evolution of the Southeastern US | Missy Eppes (Chair), John Diemer, Andy Bobyarchick |
| Catherine Opalka | 2018 | Soils and Stratigraphy of Tributary Alluvial Fans in the Uwharrie National Forest, NC, USA | Missy Eppes (Chair), John Diemer, Andy Bobyarchick |
| Benjamin Weiserbs | 2017 | The Morphology and History of Exfoliation on Rock Domes in the Southeastern United States | Missy Eppes (Chair), Andy Bobyarchick, John Diemer |
| Megan Sirbaugh | 2017 | Spatiotemporal Prediction Modeling of Dengue Fever in Colombia, South America Based on Temperature and Precipitation | Matt Eastin (Chair), Eric Delmelle, Wenwu Tang |
| Faye Moser | 2017 | Spatial and Temporal Variance in Rock Dome Exfoliation and Weathering near Twain Harte, California, USA | Missy Eppes (Chair), Andy Bobyarchick, Brian Magi |
| Danielle Merritt | 2017 | The Role of Urban Green Roofs as Invertebrate Habitat | Sara Gagne (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Elizabeth Delmelle |
| Alan McCreary | 2017 | Anatomy of Select Fluvial Deposits in the Mauch Chunk Group, Southern West Virginia, USA | John Diemer (Chair), Andy Bobyarchick, Scott Hippensteel |
| Kathleen Magee | 2017 | An Observational Study on Quantifying the Distance of Supercell-Boundary Interaction in the Great Plains | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Derick Haydin | 2017 | Vertical Hydraulic Gradients and Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction under a Pre-Restoration Piedmonth Urban Stream, Charlotte NC | David Vinson (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Missy Eppes |
| Matthew Gropp | 2017 | Assessing the Impact of the Nocturnal Transition of the Lifetime and Evolution of Supercell Thunderstorms in the Great Plains | Casey Davenport (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
| Susan Dyer | 2017 | Ground Penetrating Radar Investigation of Subsurface Cavity Potential in the Russell Mine, Uwharrie National Forest, Montgomery County, North Carolina | Andy Bobyarchick (Chair), John Diemer, Gang Chen |
| Alexandra Shoffner | 2016 | The Relative Effects of Habitat Amount, Habitat Configuration, and Urbanization Intensity on Forest Breeding Birds | Sara Gagne (Chair), Wenwu Tang, Andrew Wilson (not EEGS) |
| Ryan Hubler | 2016 | Initiation and Enhancement of Local Precipitating Convection by the Charlotte Urban Heat Island | Matt Eastin (Chair), Brian Magi, Terry Shirley |
| Adrienne Boucher | 2016 | Effects of the Urban Heat Island on Anurans in Remnant and Stormwater Control Ponds in the Charlotte Metropolitan Region | Sara Gagne (Chair), Matt Eastin, Sandra Clinton |
| Thomas Winesett | 2015 | Using Microwave Remote Sensing to Estimate Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Over Land for the Contiguous United States | Brian Magi (Chair), Matt Eastin, Dan Cecil (not EEGS) |
| Erin Turner | 2015 | Stream Restoration Influences Soil Characteristics and Ecological Function of Urban Floodplains in the North Carolina Piedmont | Missy Eppes (Chair), Sandra Clinton, Sara McMillan (not EEGS) |
| Brandy Stimac | 2015 | Structure and Evolution of Convective Cells in the Near-Shore Outer Rainbands of Hurricane Rita (2005) | Matt Eastin (Chair), Brian Magi, Amanda Adams |
| Aiken Small | 2015 | Response of Foraminifera to a Reverse Osmosis Briny Discharge | Scott Hippensteel (Chair), Matt Eastin, Craig Allan |
| Stephen Rachide | 2015 | A Case Study of the Impacts of Beaver Ponds on a Piedmont Stream | John Diemer (Chair), Missy Eppes, Andy Bobyarchick |
| Brandt Kayser | 2015 | Drivers of Post-Glacial Alluvial Fan Aggradation and Incision, Conejos River Valley, Colorado | John Diemer (Chair), Craig Allan, Scott Hippensteel |
| Sara Henderson | 2015 | Recovery of Macroinvertebrate Communities Following Flood Disturbance in Urban Restored Streams, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina | Sandra Clinton (Chair), Sara Gagne, Amy Ringwood (not EEGS) |
| Joel Hardison | 2015 | This is a Graveyard? Geoarchaeological Investigation of a Potential Burial Ground in Croatan National Forest, North Carolina | Andy Bobyarchick (Chair), John Diemer, Janet Levy (not EEGS) |
| Sofia DiBari | 2015 | Evaluating Foraminifera as a Tool for Recreating Historical Landscapes and Verifying Cartographic Accuracy at Fort Fisher, North Carolina | Scott Hippensteel (Chair), Laurie Garo, Gang Chen |
| Lopita Dash | 2015 | Comparison of Different Acoustic Emission Data Outputs for a Natural Boulder Exposed to the Sun Provides Insights into Mechanical Weathering Processes | Missy Eppes (Chair), Brian Magi, Eric Delmelle, Kim Warren (not EEGS) |
| Heath Corder | 2015 | The Relationships between Meteorological Features and Wind Turbine Icing Events | Amanda Adams (Chair), Matt Eastin, Terry Shirley |
For Thesis titles before 2015, please contact the Earth Sciences MS Graduate Program Director.