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Michelle Newcomer

Research Scientist

Building 085B, Room 0115

M/S 74R316C

Phone: 510-486-7057

mnewcomer@lbl.gov

Curriculum Vitae

  • Education
  • Experience
  • Awards
  • Professional Affiliations
  • Scholarly Service
  • Early Career Activities
  • Other Websites

Biography

Dr. Michelle Newcomer is a Research Scientist in the Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She is a member of the Watershed Function SFA 2.0 Team and her research focuses on analyzing the effects of climate perturbations on hydrological and biogeochemical cycling in hyporheic zones and as a function of surface water-groundwater interactions. Her current research links dynamic mechanisms of microbial transformations to larger scale effects driven by climate in the East River, CO, and the Russian River, CA. Michelle completed her PhD in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley and has a wide range of hydrological interests from:

  • Impacts of California wild-fires on watershed hydrology and water quality
  • Extreme climate and changes to groundwater-surface water connectivity
  • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and the role of food-webs, riverine exports, and climate perturbations
  • Terrestrial Aquatic Interface (TAI): exploring the biogeochemistry of the TAI across large-scale (coastal zones) to small-scale (hyporheic zones)
  • New fiber-optic technologies for sensing across the TAI

Publications

News Highlights

  • March. 2020: DOE Direct Current Live Podcast at the AAAS meeting, Seattle [link][mp3]
  • Feb. 2020: Berkeley Lab-CSUEB Internship Collaboration Is Changing Lives [link]
  • Jan. 2020: Expert Panel: Bridging science and policy for improved wildfire resilience and healthy forests. National Council on Science and Environment. [link]
  • Aug. 2019: Tiny Toxins: Tiny Toxins: How Algal Blooms Affect Coastal Systems Through a Complex Web of Interactions. [link]
  • Apr. 2019: Dr. Newcomer, selected expert at the April 4, 2019 CCST Expert Briefing Series on Environmental Impacts of Wildfires in California [One-Pager; Video]
  • Feb. 2019: Poseidon Water Partners With Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on Algal Bloom Research [link]
  • Dec. 2018: Research scientist Michelle Newcomer Talks About Wildfire’s Effects on Water Quality at AGU [link]
  • Oct. 2018: Dr. Newcomer accepted the invitation to participate as the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) Early Career Committee (ECC) member and representative of the International Commission on Groundwater
  • Aug. 2018: Dr. Newcomer receives the LBNL Early Career LDRD research grant 2018-2020: Climate and Hydrological Controls on Coastal Algal Blooms [link]
  • Jul. 2018: Michelle hosts the Intro to Jupyter for Water Data Analysis: CA Big Data Challenge, YouTube Video time 0:10, Binder materials.
  • Jun. 2018: Recently published article receives cover article highlight. Influence of hydrological perturbations and riverbed sediment characteristics on hyporheic zone respiration of CO2 and N2. JGR Biogeosciences. doi:10.1002/2017JG004090 [link]. Cover Article Highlight.
  • Apr. 2018: Lab Hosts First Big Data study trip. BLEND Workshop. February 2018. [link]
  • Oct. 2017: Dr. Newcomer launches the post-fire water quality sampling across the Russian River Watershed. Research Becomes Reality in Study of Fire Impact on Sonoma Water Resources. October 2017. [link]

Education

  • PhD Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 2012-2016, “Bioclogging effects on dynamic permeability and river infiltration,” May 2016
  • M.S. Geoscience: Hydrogeology, San Francisco State University, 2006-2012, “Recharge Beneath Low-Impact Development and the Effects of Climate Variability” May 2012. Manuscript published in Water Resources Research
  • B.A. Sociology & French, University of California at Santa Barbara, 2002-2006

Experience

  • Research Scientist, Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division, Hydrogeology Department, 2018-Present
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Climate & Ecosystem Sciences Division, 2016-2018
  • Visiting Scholar, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 2013, 2014
  • Center Lead, Research Adviser, Project Coordinator, NASA Ames Research Center: Science Systems and Applications Inc. DEVELOP National Program, 2010-2012
  • Earth Science Research Consultant-Team Leader, NASA Ames Research Center: Science Systems and Applications Inc. DEVELOP National Program, 2009-2010
  • Earth Science Research Consultant-Team member, NASA Ames Research Center: Science Systems and Applications Inc. DEVELOP National Program, 2007-2009

Awards

  • NASA Group Achievement Award, 2014
  • Best Student Presentation Award. International Water Association Conference, 2014
  • Water Resources Research Editor’s Highlight, 2014
  • NASA’s Applied Sciences DEVELOP National Program Commitment to Service Award, 2012
  • San Francisco State University College of Science & Engineering Graduate Distinguished Achievement Award, 2012
  • Earthzine Honorable Mention for Outstanding Video, 2012
  • Recipient of the NASA Group Achievement Award, 2011
  • NASA’s Applied Sciences DEVELOP National Program Project Achievement Award, 2008-2012
  • Dean’s List, UC Santa Barbara, 2004

Professional Affiliations

  • American Water Works Association, 2013-Present
  • Association of Engineering Geologists, 2011-Present
  • American Society of Civil Engineers, 2011-Present
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2009-Present
  • Geological Society of America (GSA), 2010-Present
  • American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), 2007-2012

Scholarly Service

  • Environmental Science Instructor, Stanford University Pre-Collegiate Institute, 2015
  • Mentor, UC Berkeley Resume Writing Workshop, 2014
  • Graduate Student Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, 2013-2014
  • Mentor, UC Berkeley Statement of Purpose Workshop, 2013
  • Speaker/Mentor, American Society of Civil Engineers Career Seminar “If I knew then what I know now,” 2013
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, San Francisco State University, 2011-2012
  • Lab Technician, Hydrogeology Laboratory, Hydrogeology Research Group, San Francisco State University, 2010-2012
  • Mentor, NASA Ames Girls Go Tech “When I Grow Up…” Career Expo, 2011
  • Research Assistant, SETI Institute, 2009-2011
  • Tutor, inGenius! Tutoring Learning Center, 2009-2011

Early Career Activities

  • Elected member of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) Early Career Committee (ECC) and U.S. representative of the International Commission on Groundwater (ICGW) (2018-2021) [link]
  • Director of the LBNL “Get to know your Post-doc” Seminar Series (2020)
  • EESA CESD Division Council Early Career Representative (2018-Present)

Other Websites

  • Hydro Lab (Michelle's Blog)
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  • Earth Science Women’s Network ESWN
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