Joseph G. O'Rourke

Earth and Planetary Scientist

Dr. Joseph G. O'Rourke is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, specializing in the long-term evolution of Earth and other worlds.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. Carver Bierson

Carver is working with me and Lindy Elkins-Tanton on the NASA Psyche Mission, but he is an expert in all the planets (and planetary bodies). His website: https://www.carverbierson.com/

Graduate Students (Primary Advisees)

Madison Borrelli

Madison is a PhD candidate in Geological Sciences. She is an expert on surface processes (volcanism, impact cratering, and lithospheric flexure) on terrestrial planets (Venus and Mars) and icy worlds (Charon and the Uranian satellites).

Kevin Trinh

Kevin is a PhD candidate in Geological Sciences. He studies the differentiation, evolution, and potential habitability of icy moons, particularly Europa. His primary research tools include physics- and chemistry-based numerical models. He earned a B.A. in physics (2019) from Bowdoin College.
His website: https://ktrinh20.github.io/#/

Samuel Courville

Sam is a PhD candidate in Geological Sciences, working with me and Lindy Elkins-Tanton on the NASA Psyche Mission. He also works with Julie Castillo-Rogez and others at JPL on the evolution of more water-rich worlds. His website: https://search.asu.edu/profile/3653639.

Trevor Austin

Trevor is a PhD candidate in Geological Sciences. He is working with me to study impactor airbursts in the atmosphere of Venus and their geological consequences—especially implications for models of volcanic resurfacing. He also works with Mark Robinson on Moon stuff.

Graduate Students (Secondary Advisees)

Saira Hamid

Saira is a PhD candidate in Geological Sciences. Her primary advisor is Amanda Clarke. She has worked with me on the history of the lunar core dynamo and its (possible) coupling with a lunar basal magma ocean. See Hamid et al., (2023)!

Sarah Braunisch

Sarah is a PhD candidate in Geological Sciences. Her primary advisor is Phil Christensen. She’s working with me on the production and cycling of radiogenic noble gases in Venus, especially how they might be hidden within a basal magma ocean.

Allyson Trussell

Allyson is a PhD student in Geological Sciences. Her primary advisor is Jim Bell. She is working with me on the tectonics of Venus, specifically on whether there might be analogues to processes that concentrate carbon in Earth’s crust.

Jessica Norrell

Jessica is a PhD student in Geological Sciences. Her primary advisor is Katrina Bossert. She is working with me to model the atmospheric signatures of volcanic and seismic events at Venus.

Yoav Rotman

Yoav is a PhD student in Astrophysics. His primary advisor is Mike Line. He is working with me to model basal magma oceans in terrestrial exoplanets.