

Frances Griswold
NE CASC Graduate Fellow
Ph.D. Student
UMass Amherst
Research Interests
I am interested in looking at the factors that impact coastal change, particularly during extreme wave events such as hurricanes and tsunamis. My previous work focused on reconstructing earthquake and tsunami events in the Pacific to determine future hazard risk. My current research focuses on two primary areas, the impacts hurricanes have on coastal lagoons and mangrove forests in Puerto Rico, particularly following the 2017 hurricane season, and large-scale sediment dynamics that impact New England salt marshes. I hope to continue to investigate what is needed for coastal ecosystems to thrive to buffer the impacts of hurricanes, particularly with the threat of rising sea level.
Education
M.A.: Geology, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, 2015
B.S.: Geology, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL 2013
Experience
Research Assistant, UMass Amherst, 2019-preseent
Teaching Assistant, UMass Amherst, 2017-2021
Geologist, Cherokee Nation Businesses contracted at the U.S. Geological Survey, 2015-2017
Field Assistant, Central Washington University, Aleutian Islands, AK, and Whidbey Island, WA, 2014
Teaching Assistant, Central Washington University, 2013-2015
NAGT Intern, USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory, 2013
+1 more