Research Interest

Doctoral thesis: The impact of the Minch palaeo-ice stream in NW Scotland: Constraining glacial erosion and landscape evolution through geomorphology and cosmogenic nuclide analysis.

This thesis presents results from a geomorphological and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) analysis study which resulted in the production of a composite ice-sheet thermal regime map and retreat chronology for the last BIIS in this region. Main findings:

• Mountain top erratics were uplifted and transported to high elevation during GS-2, before 16.5 ka BP.
• The interpretation of ‘trimlines’ in NW Scotland as englacial thermo-mechanical boundaries, is verified by the identification of ‘rip-offs’, a newly recognised geomorphic feature in the UK, and by quantitative demonstration of the increase in glacial erosion in the vicinity of these boundaries.
• A dated (17.6 ka BP) terrestrial glacial limit on the north Sutherland coast indicates early ice retreat from the shelf and provides a minimum constraint on ice-stream cessation indicating rapid loss of ice extent and volume following shutdown of the Minch palaeo-ice stream.
• Major ice sheet reorganisation c. 15-16 ka BP is suggested by the correlation of some lateral margin ages with high elevation erratic deposition ages implying significant ice thinning and margin retreat prior to this time.

Interests:

• Glacial geomorphology and sedimentology
• Long-term landscape evolution

Scholarship Interest

I am a Learning Teaching & Scholarship (LTS) lecturer interested in the inclusion and lived experience of students and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in the higher education context, particularly in respect to identity formation with Geography and Earth Science which are non-vocational courses. Currently my scholarship investigates the role of teaching observations in the development of teacher identity and community of practice for GTAs.

Interests:

• Graduate Teaching Assistant development
• Accessibility & Universal Design particularly in fieldwork
• Interdisciplinary teaching
• Co-creation of the curriculum with students and outreach partners

I am a member of the GTA Developers’ Forum and the University of Glasgow’s GTA Support Working Group working to create a GTA Code of Conduct.

List by: Type | Date

McGeachan, C. (PI), Mathers, H (Co-I), Hepworth, S. (Co-I), Maddra, S. (Co-I) and Brown, R. (Co-I) Mapping Edwin Morgan: Developing Multidisciplinary Collaboration through Creative Active Learning Techniques, Learning and Teaching Development Fund, University of Glasgow 2020-2021.

Hurst, M. (PI), Mathers, H. (Co-I), Slaymark, C. (Co-I) Bringing the field to the lab: low cost virtual reality (VR) technology to teach field skills in the classroom, Learning and Teaching Development Fund, University of Glasgow 2018-2019.

Dempster, T. (PI), Kirby, S. (Co-I), Mathers, H. (Co-I). Communicating Feedback through visual and verbal means. More than just a sheet. Learning and Teaching Development Fund, University of Glasgow 2017-2018.

I would like to develop undergraduate and postgraduate projects with students interested in the following:

• Glacial erosional signatures
• Landscape evolution under multiple glacial cycles
• Tors and etched pavements in quartzite
• Bedrock structure control on glacial erosion
• Fieldwork accessibility
• Under-represented groups in the geoscience student community

MSc Co-supervision: Jessica Arellano Sanchez (2015) “Reconstructing the surface of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet in NW Scotland”

Teaching

I teach throughout the Geography and Environmental Geoscience degree programmes including:

• Geography-1 ‘A World of Changing Environments’
• Earth Science-1 ‘Landscape Change’
• Geography-2: Glacial, Periglacial & Karst Environments & Processes, Sediment Labs, Residential Field class co-convener
• Earth Science-2: ‘Exploration Lab Block’
• Earth Science-4 Dissertation supervisor
• Geography-4 Dissertation supervisor
• MSc Earth Futures ‘Field Notation’

Glacial Landsystems Honours Option – 10 credits (+10 credit field class)

Glacial landscapes are highly dynamic environmental systems which respond rapidly to climate change leaving a suite of geomorphic and sedimentological records. Using Scotland as their laboratory, students will utilise sedimentological and geomorphic evidence to synthesise local reconstructions of environmental change during the last glacial-interglacial cycle. The course includes day excursions to develop students' skills in data collection and landform observation. An additional residential fieldclass, which trains students in geomorphic mapping, sediment logging and analysis, is available for students on the Environmental Geoscience programme.

I also teach ‘Lab Demonstrating’ and assess student applications for accreditation on the Developing as a Teacher (DAT) training programme for GTAs/postdocs/technicians delivered through the Learning Enhancement & Academic Development Service (LEADS).

Teaching Awards: Teaching Excellence Award, Geography-1 Teaching Team, College of Science & Engineering, University of Glasgow (2015).

Additional responsibilities:

• School GTA convener
• Co-convener Earth Science-1
• Co-convener Geography-2
• School Learning & Teaching Committee
• School Digital Accessibility Officer
• School Equality & Diversity Committee
• School Decolonial Working Group
• School Recruitment & Publicity Group