People
Principal Investigator
Phillip Schmutz, PhD
Assocaite Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of West Florida
pschmutz[at]uwf.edu
Graduate Students
Gabby Westerfield
Thesis: Wrack as Natural Infrastructure: Elevation Change, Sediment Trapping, and Public Perceptions
Maggie Darbyshire
Thesis: Ecogeomorphic Controls on Coastal Dune Morphology Across Managed and Unmanaged Shorelines
Undergraduate Researchers
Lucia Dillersberger
Honors Thesis: Accuracy of Different GPS Data Collection Methods for Drone-Based Dune Research
Gabby Beemer
Honors Thesis: From Disturbance to Recovery: Long-Term Vegetation Response to Dune Trampling
Alumni
Graduate Students
| Name | Year | Thesis | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halie Weatherington | 2026 | Comparative Analysis of Pseudo-Absence Statistical Ratios in Relation to Sea Turtle Nesting Preferences | CEI Inspector @ Metric Engineering |
| Jordan Lewis | 2025 | Using a Thermal Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle to Detect Submarine Groundwater Discharge in Escambia Bay, Florida | Railroad Commission of Texas |
| Divina Cox | 2024 | Examine the Influnece of Beach Morphology on Sea Turtle Nesting Behavior in the Years 2010, 2016, and 2020 on Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key, FL | Ph.D. Student @ UC Santa Barbara |
| Madison Williams | 2022 | The Spatial Variability of Sea Turtle Nest Sites Related to Beach Geomorphology Characteristics on Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL | Restoration Coordinator for the Panhandle Dune Ecosystem Project - FWC |
| Marley Allen | 2019 | Influence of Sand Fence Configuration on Sand Accumulation and Wind Flow | Ph.D Student @ the University of New Orleans |
| Chloe Jackson | 2019 | Exposure of the Property Protection Service to Environmental Stressors in the Gulf of Mexico | Ph.D. Student @ Boston University |
| Meagan Russell | 2018 | Application of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Assess Dune Vulnerability | Program Coordinator for STEM Scholars at UWF |
Undergraduate Students
| Name | Year | Thesis | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Agin | 2024 | Evaluating the Influence of Beach Wrack on Near-Surface Aerodynamics and Sediment Transport Processes | Project Scientists @ PPM Consultants, Inc |
| Liliana Blouin | 2024 | The Spatial Variability of Sea Turtle Nest Sites Related to Beach Geomorphology Characteristics on Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL | Graduate Students @ Manchester Metropolitan University, UK |
| Kyle Allen | 2023 | Quantifying Seasonal Change in a Coastal Dune System using a UAV on Pensacola Beach, Florida | Environmental Scientist @ Raba Kistner, Inc. |
| Lexi Nelson | 2019 | The Utility of Using a Near-Infrared (NIR) Camera to Measure Beach Surface Moisture | Data Scientist @ the Gulf Ecology Division of the EPA |
| Tynon (Ty) Briggs | 2018 | Calculating Aeolian Sediment Transport Relative to The Presence of Gravel Lag | Environmental Consultant |