Kimberly Huppert joins the CREST institute as its faculty member. Dr. Huppert is an Assistant Professor in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department at the City College of the City University of New York. She teaches Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geomorphology. Dr. Huppert joined CCNY in Fall 2022.
Dr. Huppert studies how the Earth’s surface changes over time and how it is shaped by erosion, tectonics, and climate. She uses numerical modeling, field observations, geochemistry, and remote sensing data to understand the dynamics of these processes and how they interact to shape mountain ranges and coasts over different spatial and temporal scales. She added, “Landscapes are one of the most accessible and striking components of the geologic record, rife with clues to past climatic, ecologic, and tectonic conditions. Because we live on Earth’s surface, landscapes and the forces that shape them are also of considerable societal relevance, providing habitats and resources, but also sometimes posing hazards to society and infrastructure.” Dr. Huppert is particularly interested in quantifying the influence of climate on erosion rates and landscape evolution, with the goal of learning about past climatic conditions and future change from the topographic and sedimentary record.
Dr. Huppert is deeply engaged in her role as a professor. She loves the diversity of opportunities being a professor affords and the intellectual engagement and continuous learning it requires. She added, “One of the most exciting parts of my job is interacting with our incredible students. I find the opportunity to share knowledge with my students and research advisees and help them grow intellectually and professionally very rewarding. I’m thrilled, in particular, to be a part of CUNY and CCNY because of its incredible legacy and mission to promote access to higher education and spur social and economic mobility.”
Dr. Huppert is passionate about increasing accessibility to science education and frequently performs pre-collegiate and public outreach activities. Over the past 5 years, she has video chatted about her research and career path or answered geoscience questions in over 50 classrooms with kindergarten – college students on 5 continents, in 7 countries, and in 25 US states or Canadian provinces.
Dr. Huppert received her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2011 and Doctor of Philosophy in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in 2017 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously, she has held roles such as the Graduate student research and teaching assistant at MIT (2011-2017), Postdoctoral Research Scientist at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (2017-2018), Senior Research Scientist at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (2019-2022), Research Group Leader at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (2021-2022), that have played a crucial role in her journey.
