UTEP Earth, Env., & Resource Sciences

🎉 Congratulations to Tomás Lizárraga on the successful defense of his Master of Science in Environmental Science (ESCI) thesis on Tuesday, June 23, 2026!

His thesis, "Optimizing Urban Forestry Through Green Infrastructure: Tree Health and Water Retention in Ciudad Juárez Rain Gardens," highlights innovative approaches to sustainable urban environmental management and green infrastructure.

We are incredibly proud of Tomás and this outstanding achievement. His hard work, dedication, and commitment to environmental science have led to this important milestone.

Please join us in congratulating Tomás on earning his M.S. degree! 👏🎓🌿

🎓 Join us in supporting DEERS graduate student Tomás Lizárraga as he defends his Master of Science thesis in Environmental Science!

📝 Thesis Title:
Optimizing Urban Forestry Through Green Infrastructure: Tree Health and Water Retention in Ciudad Juárez Rain Gardens

📅 Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
🕑 Time: 2:00–4:00 PM
📍 Location: Geological Sciences Building, Room 308
🏫 The University of Texas at El Paso

👥 Committee Members:
• Dr. Deana Pennington, Chair
• Dr. Alex S. Mayer, Member
• Dr. Josiah M. Heyman, Member

💻 Attend via Microsoft Teams:
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/25920568169377?p=JshK6gDaQIOAUWhQXn

Please join us in celebrating this important milestone and supporting Tomás as he presents his research on sustainable urban forestry and green infrastructure in Ciudad Juárez.

Good luck, Tomás! 🎉🌳💧

Join us in supporting Ph.D. candidate Marc A. Garcia as he defends his doctoral dissertation!

Advancements in Modern Seismic Monitoring: Integrating Novel and Traditional Methods for Earthquake Detection, Characterization, and Structural Imaging

📅 Friday, June 26, 2026
🕐 1:00 PM MDT
📍 GEOL 123, The University of Texas at El Paso
💻 Zoom link available upon request

We invite students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to attend and support Marc as he reaches this significant milestone in his academic career.

🎓 Join us in supporting DEERS graduate student Ariel Bollinger as she defends her Master of Science thesis!

📝 Thesis Title:
"An Analysis of Mating Strategies in Rotifers Inhabiting Temporary Habitats"

📅 Date: Friday, June 12, 2026
🕜 Time: 1:30 PM
📍 Location: Biosciences Building, Room 2.154
🏫 The University of Texas at El Paso

💻 Attend via Zoom:
https://utep-edu.zoom.us/j/81526142534?pwd=BDPgMJbugx4g63cHWXwptP6rDyawK6.1

We invite faculty, staff, students, and friends to attend and support Ariel as she presents her research.

Good luck, Ariel! 🎉

⚠️ Part 2: Still no classrooms in sight

GEOL 4376 Field Geology II has made it to Utah, and the views are not making the field work any easier to focus on.

Dr. Rip Langford and Dr. Jay Chapman have the crew mapping through some of the most iconic canyon country in the Southwest. Fisher Valley, Moab, Canyonlands, the Grabens, and Natural Bridges National Monument. Geology everywhere you look, which is kind of the point.

Two weeks down, one to go. Arizona is next and we will be back with Part 3!

Field camp veterans, what are your tips for surviving field camp?

📢 You’re Invited to Attend a Dissertation Defense!

Join us for Brent Samuel Hogue’s dissertation presentation:

“The Effect of Temperature and Hydroperiod on Rotifer Hatching Diversity and Phenology in Ephemeral Playas”

🗓 Tuesday, June 2, 2026
🕒 3:00 PM
📍 Bioscience Research Building, Room 2.154

Committee Members:
• Elizabeth J. Walsh, Ph.D. (Chair)
• Thomas E. Gill, Ph.D.
• Wiebke Boeing, Ph.D.

💻 Microsoft Teams option available for virtual attendance.

All are welcome to attend and support this exciting research presentation on aquatic ecology and environmental science!

⚠️ Warning: Field camp flashbacks ahead!

GEOL 4376 Field Geology II is live, and Dr. Rip Langford and Dr. Jay Chapman have UTEP’s geology seniors out in the field for three weeks straight. Here is where they are going!

Starting in New Mexico: San Lorenzo Canyon, Valles Caldera, Bandolier National Monument, and the Tusas Mountains. North into Colorado through Great Sand Dunes, Ouray, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. East into Utah for field work in Fisher Valley, Moab, Canyonlands, and Natural Bridges National Monument. Then south through Arizona: the Grand Canyon, SP Crater, Petrified Forest, and Apache National Forest before heading home to El Paso.

Roughly 1,000 miles, four states, and zero complaints about the views. This is the senior capstone for UTEP’s geology program. Three weeks of advanced field mapping using GIS tools, computer-aided methods, and air photo interpretation. No classrooms. Just rocks, maps, and a lot of sunscreen. Stay tuned for more updates!

What is your favorite field camp memory?

Congratulations graduating class of Spring 2026 🎓

We are proud of you and can’t wait to see what you do next! ✨