Lauren Birgenheier portrait
  • Assistant Professor, Geology & Geophysics
  • Associate Professor, Geology & Geophysics

Education

  • B.A., Geology, Colorado College. Project: Thesis: Sedimentology, Biostratigraphy, and Chemostratigraphy of Cambrian-Ordovician Deposits: Northern Wyoming and Southern Montana
  • Ph.D., Geosciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Project: Dissertation: Constraining the timing, extent, and nature of the late Paleozoic Gondwandan ice age in eastern Australia using modern sedimentological and geochemical techniques

Research Summary

My sedimentary geology and geochemistry research expertise spans range of ancient depositional environments including fluvial, shallow marine (siliciclastic and carbonate), and lacustrine sedimentary systems. I focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration that addresses 1) increasing societal demand for and impact of energy development, as hosted in sedimentary rocks- this includes hydrocarbons, critical minerals and carbon storage (energy transition); and 2) deep-time paleoclimate reconstruction.

Biography

Dr. Birgenheier is an Associate Professor at University of Utah.  Her sedimentary geology research expertise spans range of ancient depositional environments including fluvial, shallow marine (siliciclastic and carbonate), and lacustrine systems. She focuses on cross-disciplinary collaboration that addresses 1) energy development and impacts, including hydrocarbons, critical minerals and carbon storage, and 2) deep-time paleoclimate reconstruction. She was a 2018 AAPG Inspirational Geoscience Educator awardee and 2019 GRIT team awardee for advancing diversity of the energy workforce. She received her Ph.D. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2007 and a B.A. from Colorado College in 2002.