Current lab members - at UC Santa Cruz
Nerissa Barling
PhD Student
Growing up in Hawai'i, Nerissa's curiosity about ahupua'a, local watersheds, propelled her interest in stakeholder and enquiry-driven science. She graduated from Colorado College with a Bachelor's degree in Geology and joined the Zimmer Watershed Hydrology lab in the summer of 2021. Passionate about research that informs policy, Nerissa is building her scientific toolkit to investigate how the physical structure of the subsurface controls water storage, plant-water supply, and streamflow generation. She hopes to apply her scientific knowledge of hydrologic systems toward meaningful actions that benefit local community members and ecosystem management.
PhD Student
Growing up in Hawai'i, Nerissa's curiosity about ahupua'a, local watersheds, propelled her interest in stakeholder and enquiry-driven science. She graduated from Colorado College with a Bachelor's degree in Geology and joined the Zimmer Watershed Hydrology lab in the summer of 2021. Passionate about research that informs policy, Nerissa is building her scientific toolkit to investigate how the physical structure of the subsurface controls water storage, plant-water supply, and streamflow generation. She hopes to apply her scientific knowledge of hydrologic systems toward meaningful actions that benefit local community members and ecosystem management.
Adam Haynes
PhD student
Adam Haynes graduated in 2017 with a B.S. from Michigan State University and received his M.S. from the University of Connecticut in 2021. Adam joined the Zimmer lab in the Fall of 2021 and will be assisting in the creation of a Reactive Transport Model for the Elkhorn Slough Watershed. His interests include human impacts on aquatic ecosystems and hydro-biogeochemistry; surface water/groundwater exchange processes and modeling; the transport/fate of toxins and other pollutants between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; watershed and stream restoration.
PhD student
Adam Haynes graduated in 2017 with a B.S. from Michigan State University and received his M.S. from the University of Connecticut in 2021. Adam joined the Zimmer lab in the Fall of 2021 and will be assisting in the creation of a Reactive Transport Model for the Elkhorn Slough Watershed. His interests include human impacts on aquatic ecosystems and hydro-biogeochemistry; surface water/groundwater exchange processes and modeling; the transport/fate of toxins and other pollutants between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; watershed and stream restoration.
Lauren Giggy
PhD student
A central coast of California native, Lauren received her B.S. in Geology and GIS Certificate from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Her research interests include surface-groundwater interactions, biogeochemistry, geomorphology, and watershed hydrology. She is eager to apply her geologic perspective to the interdisciplinary nature of water resource studies with the Zimmer Lab beginning in Fall 2019.
PhD student
A central coast of California native, Lauren received her B.S. in Geology and GIS Certificate from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Her research interests include surface-groundwater interactions, biogeochemistry, geomorphology, and watershed hydrology. She is eager to apply her geologic perspective to the interdisciplinary nature of water resource studies with the Zimmer Lab beginning in Fall 2019.
Distinguished Alumni
Amanda Donaldson (PhD student, graduated 2024) - now postdoctoral scholar at UT Austin
Russell Callahan (postdoctoral scholar 2022-2023) - now Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut
Michael Wilshire (lab technician/manager 2021-2024) - now MS student at Portland State University
Maya Montalvo (MS student, graduated 2022) - now PhD student at Simon Fraser University
Emilio Grande (PhD student, graduated 2022) - now Assistant Professor at California State University, East Bay
Jonathan Swanson (MS student, graduated 2020)
Andi Greene (MS student, graduated 2020) - now Restoration Ecologist at HT Harvey and Associates
Loren Tolley-Mann (undergraduate senior thesis student, graduated 2020) - now Staff Geologist at Trinity Source Group
Chris Causbrook (undergraduate researcher, graduated 2020) - now Staff Geologist at Trinity Source Group
Zev Fellenbaum (undergraduate senior thesis student, graduated 2019) - now Staff Geologist at Trinity Source Group
Noah Lyman (undergraduate senior thesis student, graduated 2019) - now MS student at Cal Poly
Maia Hoffman (Lab Manager 2018-2019) - now Water Quality Technician at Denver Water
Peter Willits (Lab Manager 2020-2021) - now Geologic Technician at Environmental Investigation Services
Russell Callahan (postdoctoral scholar 2022-2023) - now Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut
Michael Wilshire (lab technician/manager 2021-2024) - now MS student at Portland State University
Maya Montalvo (MS student, graduated 2022) - now PhD student at Simon Fraser University
Emilio Grande (PhD student, graduated 2022) - now Assistant Professor at California State University, East Bay
Jonathan Swanson (MS student, graduated 2020)
Andi Greene (MS student, graduated 2020) - now Restoration Ecologist at HT Harvey and Associates
Loren Tolley-Mann (undergraduate senior thesis student, graduated 2020) - now Staff Geologist at Trinity Source Group
Chris Causbrook (undergraduate researcher, graduated 2020) - now Staff Geologist at Trinity Source Group
Zev Fellenbaum (undergraduate senior thesis student, graduated 2019) - now Staff Geologist at Trinity Source Group
Noah Lyman (undergraduate senior thesis student, graduated 2019) - now MS student at Cal Poly
Maia Hoffman (Lab Manager 2018-2019) - now Water Quality Technician at Denver Water
Peter Willits (Lab Manager 2020-2021) - now Geologic Technician at Environmental Investigation Services
