I am currently an Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Auburn University. I have a Ph.D. in Environmental Dynamics and an MS in Geology from the University of Arkansas. I trained as a fluvial geomorphologist with a specific interest in anthropogenic interactions with river systems. For the Earth Analytics Applications course, I am collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund to leverage existing data sets of free-flowing rivers and proposed dams to investigate potential impacts to protected areas around the globe (https://github.com/stephlshep/global-dam-impacts). I am also part of a research partnership between academic institutions, the USGS, and the National Park Service studying the relationship between lithology and valley formation in the Buffalo National Scenic River, Arkansas (http://buffalorivergeoscience.org/). Prior to my academic career, I worked as a park ranger for the National Park Service at several parks in the western U.S. and as a river guide on the San Juan and Colorado Rivers for an educational non-profit in Moab, UT.  These days you are likely to find me exploring the woods near my home in Auburn, AL with my family.