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Mandy M Lopez

Photo of Mandy Lopez

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

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Member of:

Water & Ecosystems

Technologist

Employed By

Caltech/JPL

Biography

I’m a geoscientist in the Water and Ecosystems group at JPL where I work on variety of coastal resilience projects using in situ, remote sensing, and model data. My more recent projects have assessed wildfire impacts on coastal water quality and mapped satellite-derived atmospheric greenhouse gas plumes. I joined JPL after completing my Ph.D. in geology at the University of Houston, where I studied the biogeochemical cycling of trace metal contaminants in Galveston Bay estuary using isotope geochemistry and analytical chemistry methods.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Geology from University of Houston 2021
  • M.S. in Environmental Science from Florida Atlantic University 2014
  • B.A. in Geological Sciences and History from University of Miami 2011

Professional Experience

  • Technologist, Water and Ecosystems Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2024 – present
  • NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow, Water and Ecosystems Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2021 – 2024
  • Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, University of Houston 2016 – 2021
  • NASA Intern, Experimental Petrology Group, Johnson Space Center 2017
  • Adjunct Professor of Environmental Science, Broward College 2016
  • Adjunct Professor of Environmental Science, Lone Star College 2016
  • Project Geologist, Tierra Consulting Group, Inc. 2014 – 2015

Research Interests

Coastal geoscience, science policy, marine renewable energy, marine biogeochemistry, trace metal contaminants, science education, public outreach Marine biogeochemistry, water quality, coastal geology, trace metals, applied science, stakeholder engagement, science education, public outreach

Selected Awards

  • 2022 – current: Co-I, Building a model for regenerative kelp cultivation in coastal oceans (NASA Coastal Resilience)
  • 2021 – 2023: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Postdoctoral Program Fellowship
  • 2019 – 2021: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Galveston Bay Estuary Program Monitoring & Research Subcommittee Research Grant Award
  • 2019: University of Houston Student Research Day Conference 1st Place Oral Presentation Scholarship Award
  • 2019: University of Houston 3-Minute Thesis Finalist Scholarship Award

Selected Publications

  1. Lopez, A.M., Meshesha, T. W., Lee C.M., Mohammed I.N., Hestir E.L., Harmon T.H., and Avouris, D. M. (2024c). Increased sediment loadings into coastal waters following wildfire: A remote sensing and modeling perspective. In revision.
  2. Fahlen, J., Brodrick, P., Coleman, R.W., Elder, C., Thompson, D., Thorpe, A., Green, R.O., Green, J., Lopez, A.M., Xiang, C. (2024b) Sensitivity and Uncertainty in Matched-Filter-Based Gas Detection with Imaging Spectroscopy. Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing Under Review.
  3. Chadwick, K.D., et al. (2024a) Unlocking Ecological Insights from Subseasonal Visible-to-Shortwave Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy: The SHIFT Campaign. Submitted to Ecosphere Under Review.
  4. Ade, C., Hestir, E.L., Avouris, D.M., Burmistrova, J., Nickles, C., Lopez A.M., Lopez Barreto, B., Vellanoweth, J., Smalldon, R., Lee, C.M. (2023) SHIFT: Ramses Trios Radiometer Above Water Measurements, Santa Barbara Sea, CA. [Dataset] ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center.
  5. Lopez, A.M., Fitzsimmons, J.N., Dellapenna T.M., Adams H.A., Brandon, A.D. (2021b) A time-series of heavy metal geochemistry in sediments of Galveston Bay estuary, Texas, 2017-2019. Science of the Total Environment 806: 150446.
  6. Lopez, A.M., Brandon, A.D., Ramos F.C., Fitzsimmons, J.N., Dellapenna T.M., Adams H.A. (2021a) Lead geochemistry of sediments in Galveston Bay estuary, Texas. Environmental Advances 4: 100057.
  7. Mulcan, A., Mitsova, D., Hindle, T., Hanson, H., Coley, C. (2015) Marine benthic habitats and seabed suitability mapping for potential ocean current energy siting offshore southeast Florida. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 3(2): 276-298.
  8. Wdowinski, S., Hong, S.H., Mulcan, A., Brisco, B. (2013) Remote sensing monitoring of tide propagation through coastal wetlands. Oceanography 26(3): 64-69.