Dr Tara Jonell
- Research Associate (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences)
Research interests
Dr Tara Jonell is a sedimentary geologist who investigates how climate change mediates erosion and influences environments and people. She combines the petrographic, geochronological, and geochemical datasets yielded from sediments with field and satellite measurements of topography to assess the evolution of sedimentary systems and landscapes. Most recently, she bridges gaps between geological and modern observations using early maps, archival inquiry and archaeological evidence.
She joined the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences in August 2021 as a Research Associate, collaborating on the 2021-2024 Leverhulme Trust project “Away from the Water: The First Energy Transition, British Textiles 1770–1890” with Prof Paul Bishop (UG GES), Dr Adam Lucas (University of Wollongong), and Dr Peter Jones (Nottingham Trent).
She received her PhD in Geology from Louisiana State University after obtaining a MSc in Geology from New Mexico State University and BSc (with Honours) in Geology from Kent State University. Tara was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Senior Instructor for the Louisiana State University Charles Barney Geology Field Camp before joining the University of Queensland as a Postdoctoral Researcher (2018–2021) in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Grants
2024
- Conference travel support, SAGES Small Grants Scheme
2023
- Research Enabling Fund, UG School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, ‘Illuminating the secret histories of Scottish Rivers’
- Conference travel support, UG School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, AGU Fall Meeting
2019
- Travel support, 15 early career researchers and three mid-career female keynotes, 2019 Geological Society of America Penrose Conference entitled ‘CLAST2019: Climatic controls on continental erosion and sediment transport’, US National Science Foundation Geomorphology and Land-use Dynamics Program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program, the Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology Program, the Tectonics Program, and the Paleoperspectives on Climate Change Program. Grant awarded to the US-based co-proponent to administer, USD$32,000
- Conference support, Geological Society of America Penrose Conference ‘CLAST2019: Climatic controls on continental erosion and sediment transport, The Geological Society of America Foundation, USD$15,000
2015
- Primary investigator, Farouk El-Baz Student Research Grant, Quaternary Science Division, Geological Society of America, ‘River terraces suggest summer monsoonal precipitation controls sediment storage even in the Himalayan rain shadow’, USD$2,500
- Primary investigator, Student Research Grant, Geological Society of America, “River terraces suggest summer monsoonal precipitation controls sediment storage even in the Himalayan rain shadow”, USD$1,148
Supervision
2022-present:
- College of Science and Engineering Thesis Mentor Programme
2020
- Jing Liu, UQ Honours, Project title: Links between tectonics and landscape evolution in New Caledonia (co-advised with Dr. Renjie Zhou, UQ)
2019
- Sangay Pelzang, UQ Senior Research Project, Project title: Remote Sensing of Spatio-Temporal Environmental Change of Gangtey-Phobjikha Wetland, Bhutan (1990–2018)
2018
- Bethany Kolb, ULL Honors Student Contract, Project title: Paleontological Volunteer at Lafayette Science Museum, Lafayette, Louisiana
2016–2017
- Kingslee Vinson, LSU EnvironMentors, Project title: The effect of natural materials on storm runoff chemistry
2015–2016
- Cedric Taylor, LSU EnvironMentors, Project title: Feeding Mentha piperita (chocolate mint) 10% benzoyl peroxide facial products
Teaching
2023
- UG GEOG2001 (field)
- UG EARTH4090: Landscape Dynamics (field)
2021
- UG EARTH4090: Landscape Dynamics (guest lecture)
- UQ ERTH3110: Marine Geoscience (guest lectures)
2019–2020
- UQ ERTH2005: Earth Materials (guest lectures)
2017–2018
- ULL GEOL106: Earth History
- ULL GEOL225: Introduction to Earth Science
2017
- LSU GEOL3666: Senior Geology Field Camp
2016
- LSU WGS1001: Evolution of Sex and Gender
- LSU GEOL1001: Physical Geology
2012–2016 (as graduate instructor)
- LSU GEOL3666: Senior Geology Field Camp
- LSU GEOL3041: Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- LSU GEOL2081: Mineralogy
- LSU GEOL3071: Structural Geology
- LSU GEOL1001: Physical Geology
2010–2012 (as graduate instructor)
- NMSU GEOL335V: Natural Hazards
- NMSU GEOL1110G: Physical Geology
Professional activities & recognition
Prizes, awards & distinctions
- 2019: Travel support, 15 early career researchers and three mid-career female keynotes, 2019 Geological Society of America Penrose Conference ‘CLAST2019: Climatic controls on continental erosion and sediment transport’ (US National Science Foundation)
- 2019: Conference support, Geological Society of America Penrose Conference ‘CLAST2019: Climatic controls on continental erosion and sediment transport (Geological Society of America)
- 2015-2016: Farouk El-Baz Student Research Grant (Geological Society of America)
- 2015-2016: Student Research Grant (Geological Society of America)
- 2024: Small Grant Scheme (SAGES)
- 2024: Research Enabling Fund (UG School of Geographical and Earth Sciences)
Editorial boards
- 2018 - 2024: Frontiers in Earth Science, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Review Editor
- 2024 - present: JGR Earth Surface Associate Editor
Selected international presentations
- 2021: Invited Speaker (Louisiana State University)
- 2020: Invited Speaker (The University of Queensland)
- 2019: Invited Speaker (University of Lausanne)
- 2018: Invited Speaker (Lanzhou University)