Advisor: Dr. Sara Rathburn
Email: Celeste.Wieting@colostate.edu
Previous Education:
Colorado School of Mines, M.S. Hydrology, 2016
Colorado School of Mines, B.S. Geological Engineering, 2012
About Me:
I came to Colorado in 2008 to attend Colorado School of Mines, but am originally from Texas (no, I don’t ski in jean shorts). I worked in environmental consulting before going to graduate school, remediating sites with contaminated soil and groundwater. While completing my Masters degree, I fell in love with teaching and after graduating, worked at MSU Denver for three years before moving to Fort Collins for my PhD. I’ve enjoyed teaching others the importance of protecting our Earth’s resources and hope I can continue to do so after my doctoral studies. I enjoy rafting, hiking, crafting of all sorts, and collecting miniatures.
Research Focus:
As an avid rafter, I have seen invasive vegetation dominate riparian corridors, motivating me to broaden my academic foundation from hydrogeology to fluvial geomorphology. My research will link flow and sediment dynamics to stream channel response following invasive vegetation removal to quantify the magnitude of landscape change and inform management of post-removal channel behavior. In addition, I will expand existing models of sediment transport and deposition that currently focus on tamarisk and cottonwood to include giant cane, filling a knowledge gap regarding the geomorphic influence of non-woody vegetation expansion. My research will help inform vegetation removal efforts, post-removal management, and controls on channel change of these disturbed landscapes.