GEOTECTION - Key Persons
Beau Neale is a Field Technician with hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc., with a diverse background in logistics gained during his time in the U.S. military. He assists geoscientists and engineers with measuring subsurface geologic properties using field geophysical instrumentation responsible for equipment storage and maintenance. Since becoming a member of the HGI team, Beau has gained experience in the application of electrical-resistivity surveys, GPS data acquisition, and gravity surveys.
Before coming to HGI, Beau was a tactical data-systems specialist in the U.S. Army for three years immediately after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Working in the Army in fire-direction control for field artillery, he participated in large-scale missions and training exercises that have making him an exceptional leader and team player. During his deployment in Iraq, he gained praise for adapting to contrasting roles quickly within his squad and working as a team player while perfecting computer and communication techniques on the fly. Beau's attention to detail, quick thinking, and dedication to his squad and U.S. Army, earned him the ARMY Commendation Medal, which is presented for sustained acts of praiseworthy service.
Beau majored in film at Collins College in Phoenix, Ariz., further evolving his teamwork skills working with both equipment and film crews to find the most efficient, cost-effective ways to produce a quality product.
Beau is passionate about film and sports and for years excelled in taekwondo, which contributed to his great capacity for self-discipline and patience.
Job Titles:
- Senior Geophysical Project Manager
- Southwest Regional Director
Brian Cubbage is the Southwest Regional Director and the Texas area branch manager for hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc. (HGI). He has a diverse background in geosciences with an emphasis on geology and geophysics. Brian is responsible for HGI's Texas office, and his responsibilities include project management, design and implementation of geophysical methods, and the development of Texas area sales. As a Senior Project Manager and HGI branch manager, Brian focuses on new geophysical markets across multiple industries.
Over the last 15 years, Brian's experience has included electrical resistivity projects related to underground waste plumes at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington state and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Projects using seismic refraction and electrical resistivity methods to map structure and faults at the NASA White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico and related surveys across the Midwest. More recently, Brian has been a significant contributor to HGI's mining geophysics programs, focusing on secondary recovery methods for copper and gold leach pads using electrical resistivity methods. In his latest role as the HGI Texas area branch manager, Brian is using his experience in project management, client development, and sales to expand HGI's market into new areas such as petrochemical and oil & gas in the Gulf Coast.
In the field of geophysics, Brian has published multiple papers, ranging from subsurface imaging of complex industrial areas to environmental monitoring and assessment of Hanford's tank farms in Washington State. In his latest publication, he is the lead author for a paper on the development of a new electrical resistivity array type created in partnership with Dr. Dale Rucker.
Brian enjoys mentoring junior staff to help train the next generation of geophysicists at HGI and in his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hiking, and travel, which is a perfect fit for the unique world of geophysics.
Brian holds a BS in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Brian Minkin recently joined the hydroGeophysics team as a Staff Engineer. Brian received a B.S. in both Geology and Hydrogeology from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2017, where he had extensive opportunities to explore and study the economic geology, structure, and geomorphology of the Basin and Range province. His keen interest in Nevada economic geology led to an internship at Bald Mountain with Barrick Gold Corp., where he continued to develop skills in mapping, ArcGIS, photogrammetry interpretation, and geostatistical analysis of geochemical data. After graduation, Brian gained relevant experience in geophysics, working on data collection for magnetotelluric and MASW exploration projects to detect lithium and water resources within the Basin and Range and Mojave provinces of Nevada and California. Brian is currently finishing his Masters's degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, using a multi-proxy approach to understand mid-late Holocene environmental changes in coastal lagoons from Vieques Island PR.
Brian took a very non-traditional path to arrive at Geophysics. A love of books and writing initially led him to study English Literature at the University of California at Berkeley. After earning a degree in 1999, a travel bug hit him, and he spent the next 12 years traveling and living in over 30 countries where he had the chance to work and live with people from very diverse backgrounds. During this time, he was exposed to the many challenges people faced in the developing world and became interested in studying earth systems.
Brian is very passionate about travel, music, and the ocean. When not in the field, he can usually be found surfing the waves and strumming his ukulele between the beaches of southern California and northern Baja Mexico.
Job Titles:
- Field Technician
- Field Technician for HydroGEOPHYSICS
Caleb Perez is a Field Technician for hydroGEOPHYSICS (HGI), with a background in Physics. He supports staff geoscientists, engineers, and project managers with geophysical surveys using geophysical instrumentation and techniques to measure subsurface geologic properties. Caleb has a working knowledge of electrical resistivity, induced polarization, seismic refraction, and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW).
Before working at HGI, Caleb studied advanced Earth System Science, Geology, Meteorology, and Planetary Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He embraces the holistic approach to earth science and is passionate about exploring the dynamic interactions between scientific disciplines. Caleb's knowledge of physical properties, processes, and interactions allows him to make educated and informed decisions while in the field.
Caleb holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is MSHA certified and OSHA certified. Outside of work, Caleb is an avid consumer of science fiction, anime, and chicken tenders.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Program Manager
- HGI Head Shot - 2
- Senior Geophysical Project Manager
Christopher Baldyga is a Program Manager and Principal with hydroGEOPHYSICS. Christopher joined HGI in 2001 after a brief service in the oil exploration industry. Christopher has extensive experience in all aspects of geophysical surveying including data acquisition, quality control, processing, modeling, and digital plotting techniques. Chris has a focus on environmental characterization and hydrological assessment. Today Chris is responsible for the development and implementation of geophysical surveys, supervision of data acquisition, and report/proposal preparation. Chris graduated from State University of NY at Geneseo College in 1996 with a B.Sc. Degree in Geophysics. He then completed an M.Sc. Degree at the University of Arizona in Geophysical Engineering (2000).
Job Titles:
- Principal Engineering Geophysicist at HydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc
- Senior Engineering Geophysicist
Dr. Allan Haas is currently a Principal Engineering Geophysicist at hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc. His work at hydroGEOPHYSICS focuses on R&D activities for HGI. Various research topics include tank leak detection, pond Leak Detection, Leak Localization, self-potential methods, fracture imaging, dam leak detection related modeling, and data acquisition system development. Allan also has several publications in the field of geophysics concerning leak detection, localization, and seismoelectric phenomenon. During his Ph.D. research, Allan investigated the measurable electrical signals associated with leakages in wells, and fluid flow related to hydraulic fracturing, and subsurface fracture flow.
Over the past 25 years, Allan has been involved in a wide variety of research and development activities spanning three different technology paths. Path one was military sonar technology, path two was visible, and infrared imaging technology for ground and space-based astronomy, and path three is geophysics. Interestingly, both paths one and two are relevant to geophysics in numerous ways.
After researching passive fiber-optic and active sonar systems for several years, Allan became involved in geophysics for the first time in 1995. In 1995, Allan successfully lead an effort to deploy, for the first time, a high channel capacity hydrophone array into a test borehole at the Chevron Technology Research Center in La Habra, CA, to investigate high hydrophone channel count cross-well seismic performance. Between 1998 and 2007, Allan developed innovative, high technology solutions for space-qualified, cryogenic, infrared image sensor packaging for Hubble Space Telescope, Deep Impact, New Horizons, and other spacecraft. Eventually, Allan decided to pursue advanced degrees in geophysics. While in graduate school, Allan worked for BP and Conoco Phillips petroleum companies as a summer intern. At Conoco, Allan exclusively researched alternate geophysical methods for hydraulic fracture imaging. The Conoco research ultimately led to his Ph.D. dissertation. Over the past several years, Allan has been developing innovative solutions to technical problems HGI encounters. In 2015, Allan and his prominent coauthors published a book on the seismoelectric phenomenon.
Allan enjoys technically challenging opportunities that do not fit the normal paradigm of geophysical problems. Allan enjoys developing technology and eventually taking it out into the field for deployment and testing. Allan has successfully used Comsol Multiphysics to model several different types of geophysical problems, leading to new insights about old geophysical methods, and new geophysical concepts. Allan also uses Matlab as a tool to model and develop new signal processing techniques. Allan is currently a member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Allan earned a Ph.D. in Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines, in December 2013, a Master of Science in Geophysics at Colorado School of Mines in May 2010, and a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Arizona in May of 1987.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technical Officer
- Chief Technical Officer ( CTO ) for HGI
- New Editor of the Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics
Dr. Dale Rucker currently acts as the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for HGI. He is a geophysicist and hydrogeologist with a strong background in engineering and publishing. Dale is responsible for the technical direction of the company, including the development of new hardware, software tools, and interpretation for geophysical methods aimed at solving hydrological and engineering problems. As CTO, Dale has been instrumental in bringing to HGI new geophysical-based technologies to be used for solving complex problems involving water resource, mining, engineering, and geotechnical issues.
Over the past 15 years, Dale's areas of research have focused on rapid monitoring of dynamic subsurface processes, such as subsurface injections, focused recharge, and remediation. To help with this effort, he guided the development of a large multi-channel resistivity system (Geotection) with a real-time evaluation component to help optimize reagent delivery or for use in estimating hydraulic parameters. Since development, the system has been used to monitor changes in subsurface conditions related to injection for secondary recovery of metals from heaps, in situ recovery of metals, hillslope hydrology at the Biosphere, and surficial recharge.
Dale enjoys challenging opportunities that do not fit the normal paradigm of geophysical problems. He has published peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in subjects relating to mining, karst, hydrogeology, and geophysics. Dale has longstanding memberships in SEG, EEGS, AGU, SME, EAGE, and is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics (JEEG).
Dale holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Civil Engineering, and a Doctorate in Hydrology and Water Resources from the University of Arizona.
Job Titles:
- Founder & Chief Scientist at Hydrogeophysics Inc. Retires
Dr. Jim Fink has retired after 15 years as Chief Scientist at Hydrogeophysics and a lifetime of dedication to the field of geophysics. It is with great honor that the staff of HGI recognizes Dr. Fink for his many accomplishments, and distinguished career.
Dr. Fink completed a dual-major B.Sc. Degree in Geophysics and Geochemistry from the University of Arizona; an M.Sc. degree in Geosciences, cum laude, from the Bernard Price Institute of Geophysics at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa; and a Ph.D. in Geological Engineering and Geohydrology from the University of Arizona.
During Jim's military service from 1965 to 1970 he attended the Technical School for Jet Aircraft Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. He became the Small Arms Training Supervisor for the 162 nd Combat Support Squadron in Tucson, Arizona. In 1967 he was awarded Airman of the Year for the 162 nd Combat Support Squadron, Air National Guard in Tucson, Arizona.
Jim started his geophysical experience doing field work for Walt Heinrichs at GeoEX. He worked for several mining exploration companies while going to school and was hired by Geo-Comp prior to graduating in 1969. During this time he became an accomplished computer programmer writing computer programs in FORTRAN for a multi-channel airborne geophysical system, contouring software, and statistical processing code for induced polarization and resistivity data.
From 1976 to 1979, Jim was Senior Minerals Geophysicist at Esso Minerals in Johannesburg, South Africa. Responsible for EMA's southern Africa exploration geophysics, Jim focused on uranium, base metal, and precious metal exploration. While in this role he wrote geophysical forward modeling software, developed and tested an IBM Series 1 Process Control Computer for digital logging of radiometrics, evaluated accuracy methods for wet chemical and radiometric assays. He also published on radiometric logging methods, and developed financial analysis software for mineral deposits. Additionally, Jim served as an internal consultant to other Esso foreign affiliates and adviser to EPRCo. (Exxon Production Research Company). In 1979, he completed the requirements for his Master's Degree.
Jim was the Senior Research Geophysicist for Exxon Production Research Company in Houston, Texas, and was responsible for the guidance of minerals geophysics research for Exxon Minerals worldwide from 1979 to 1980. In this position Jim supervised researchers developing interpretation aids for electrical methods and performed theoretical computer studies of electrical geophysical techniques. Jim further distinguished himself by authoring and co-authoring three volumes of theoretical curves (see publications) and traveled internationally to foreign affiliates to teach, train, and guide field operations.
During the early 1980s, Jim reestablished his consulting business. He spent time as a senior consultant for Phoenix Geophysics performing industry-funded research to evaluate the application of Spectral Induced Polarization to hydrocarbon exploration. During this time he modifying data acquisition procedures, creating spectral modeling guidelines, and reporting research results.
Job Titles:
- HGI As a Senior Geophysicist
- Senior Engineering Geophysicist
Dr. Nigel Crook joined HGI as a Senior Geophysicist in April 2011. Today Nigel is the Senior Engineering Geophysicist California Branch Manager responsible for the development and implementation of geophysical surveys, supervision of data acquisition, and report/proposal preparation. Nigel is also involved with business development and project procurement, specializing in Environmental and Geotechnical projects.
Previously Nigel spent 5 years as a research associate and lecturer in the Geophysics Department at Stanford University. Projects include a nationwide effort to improve the integration of near-surface geophysics in hydrological academic research, as part of the NSF's Hydrological Measurement Facility effort.
Nigel's education includes a B.Sc. Degree in Geology and Geophysics from Durham University, England; an M.Sc. Degree in Archaeology from Liverpool University, England; and a Ph.D. in Environmental and Rock Magnetism from the Manchester Metropolitan University, England. He has over 20 years' experience in the near-surface geophysics industry and academia.
Nigel holds a BSc in Geology and Geophysics, MSc in Archaeology, and a doctorate in Environmental and Rock Magnetism from the Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
Job Titles:
- Investigations Could Lead to Big Payback
Jeremy Strohmeyer is a Senior Project Manager for hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc (HGI). Jeremy is responsible for all aspects of managing projects for complex hydrological, environmental, and engineering problems. Jeremy knows that every project site is different, and effective communication is the key to determining the best approach to a subsurface investigation.
Jeremy has a broad range of experience with surface, underwater, and borehole near-surface geophysical methods. He has a particular interest in seismic methods, including refraction, reflection, and surface wave methods. Jeremy has worked on a variety of dam investigations including determining bedrock topography, weathered rock zones, seepage zones, void investigations, and soft sediment surveys to direct dredging operations. He has also guided many investigations in karst environments to determine the locations of caves, sinkholes, and other solution features, bedrock topography, and fracture analysis. Jeremy has also been very involved with helping state DOT's and municipalities locate voids beneath pavement, utilities, old underground storage tanks, determine pavement thickness, extents and volumes of fill, and landfill extents and volumes.
Jeremy is a licensed geologist in the states of Kansas, Missouri, and North Carolina. Jeremy has participated in committees and leadership positions in several organizations including the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (EEGS), Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG), Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), and Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).
Jeremy holds a BS in Geology & Geophysics, and an MS in Geology & Geophysics from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He did his master's research identifying shallow potable water resources for communities south of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.
Jeremy is a baritone and performs in concerts with his church choir. He enjoys engaging with his community through various activities with the Knights of Columbus, visiting the sick and dying in hospitals, helping people going through cancer treatments, and especially helping people with developmental disabilities. Jeremy enjoys being in nature camping and hiking, especially with his amazing son.
Joe Cain is our staff geologist with a diverse background of geoscience skills developed over 15+ years as an exploration and resource geologist. He received his M. Sci. degree in geology from the University of California, Davis in 2006, and holds B.Sci degrees in both geology and environmental science from Northern Arizona University. Joe excels in geologic analysis and interpretation of both field-based data and computer modeling and analysis output. He has provided clients with field services such as drilling oversight of multi-rig campaigns, geotechnical core logging, geologic mapping and sampling, and coal-bed methane desorption analysis. He is competent in computer-based analytics as well including GIS, 3D geologic modeling, geostatistical analysis, and well log correlation. In addition to his field and computer-based expertise, he has experience reporting to NI 43-101 and JORC code standards, due-diligence review, and developing NEPA documents for federal management agencies. Currently, Joe is involved with integrating geologic and geophysical data to support secondary mining recovery, hydrogeologic studies, and environmental remediation efforts here at HGI.
When Joe is not in the field you can look for him in the back country either mountain biking, skiing, rafting, kayaking, climbing, trail running or hiking (or a combination of those!). He is typically accompanied on these adventures by his rock star wife and assortment of border collies.
Job Titles:
- Field Technician
- Field Technician With HydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc
Kent Sato is a Field Technician with hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc (HGI)., with a background in geology and soil science. His primary role at HGI is to assist staff geoscientists and engineers with geophysical surveys measuring subsurface geologic properties. Kent has a working knowledge of resistivity, seismic, and other geophysical methods and instruments.
Prior to working at HGI, Kent studied at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). He worked with various professors as a research assistant in geology and soil science. Projects included testing models to differentiate between end-member hypotheses for the evolution of Salinan arc crust using a combination of fieldwork and zircon geochronology and geochemistry. He eventually found his passion in geophysics while working on a project to characterize an aquifer using electrical resistivity, induced polarization, and seismic refraction. As a geophysics research assistant, he assisted several students with senior projects through data collection and analysis.
Kent received his B.A. degree in Environmental Earth and Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo. Kent is MSHA certified, and OSHA certified. During Kent's spare time, he enjoys hiking, cycling, and camping. Additionally, he has been training in karate since the age of 6 and likes to spend time in his dojo when he's not in the field.
Michael McNeill is a Senior Engineer at hydroGEOPHYSICS, with 15 years of experience as a geophysicist and engineer.
Joining HGI in 2004, Michael was part of a team that engineered and managed the first-ever leak detection and monitoring (LDM) resistivity system for nuclear waste tanks at the Hanford Site in eastern Washington State. This work also included the design and development of a software package that would provide continuous, automated monitoring, and data analysis. These systems are still in use at the Hanford Site in 2019.
Michael has developed a diverse knowledge of geophysical methods during his tenure with HGI. He has been involved with many different projects over the years in the western United States, Mexico, and South America, primarily relating to the Environmental, Leak Detection, and Mining Services provided by HGI. These projects have allowed Michael to become well versed in electrical resistivity techniques, seismic methods, as well as the use of electromagnetic, magnetic, and ground-penetrating radar sensors.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona. Michael is an accomplished mountain and trail runner and has completed foot races as long as 100 miles.
Moira Poje is a Geoscientist for hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc. who is passionate about using electromagnetic methods to discover new insights before, during, and after subsurface excavation. At HGI, she works on contaminant delineation and void detection projects for mine reclamation and remediation, geophysical methods for subsurface fluid flow mapping, and depth-to-bedrock delineation via seismic and electrical methods. Moira continues to work on optimizing secondary mineral recovery through injection projects on heap leach pads around the world. She has extensive experience using geophysics to identify water resources in Arizona, explore lithium deposits and geothermal reservoirs in Nevada, characterize heap leach processes, and investigate the lower crustal complexes of the North American Craton.
She has presented at the annual Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society SAGEEP Conference, where she won a Best Paper Award in 2021 and was published in the EEGS magazine, FastTIMES. Moira serves on the Board of Directors for the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (EEGS). She heads their Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force, where she organizes international film screening events and workshops on allyship and intergenerational communication. Moira is also a member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Environmental and Engineering Geophysics Society (EEGS), Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG), and the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN).
Prior to arriving at HGI, Moira managed data processing and collection on long-period magnetotelluric and ground magnetic projects to detect ore and water resources. While working on the multi-disciplinary EarthScope project, Moira installed long-period NIMS magnetotelluric systems across the United States and Alaska to contribute to a resistivity model of the continental crust at depths up to 30km beneath the surface. Moira participated in the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE). She led a team in analyzing the near-surface electromagnetic characteristics and forward modeling of seismic refraction in the San Marcos Pueblo. She presented these results at the 2014 AGU annual meeting and the Council of Undergraduate Research symposium.
Moira holds a B.A. degree in geophysics and planetary science from Boston University (2015). She worked on research projects ranging from mantle xenolith geochemistry in the Central Pacific Ocean to meteor mass ablation physics using radar data from Peru. While studying at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, Moira worked with the DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) project to increase hazard preparedness in the Auckland city center. She enjoys cycling around Tucson and supporting local neighborhood projects in her spare time.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Business Development Manager
- Marketing & Development Manager
Shawn Calendine is the Marketing & Development Manager at hydroGEOPHYSICS (HGI). His background and experience have given a robust professional quality to HGI's marketing environment while creating long-term value for HGI by developing strong client relationships. Shawn knows what truly drives conversions and solutions for industry challenges-and it's not by following the latest marketing fads. It's connecting with people and understanding their needs. It's building trust through integrity and flexibility.
Prior to joining HGI, Shawn served as the Director of Development & Marketing for an environmental, nonprofit. His focus was on educational and hands-on programs, emphasizing personal action in waste reduction, land stewardship, and urban forestry. As a nonprofit executive, Shawn adapted to challenges readily. He helped organize a series of conferences focused on climate change in the desert southwest while also establishing fundraisers supporting projects, programs, and longterm organizational goals.
Since joining HGI in 2005, Shawn has worked in many positions. His initial geophysical experience started as part of a team managing the leak detection and monit oring (LDM) prog ram for nuclear waste tanks at the Hanford Site in eastern Washington State. Th e project monitored changes in subsurface conditions associated with the stability of nuclear waste tanks. Followin g his work with the LDM program, he moved into field geophysics and also spent five years as HGI's Environmental Health & Safety Officer.
In addition to his work as a marketing consultant, Shawn participates as a board member and member for several Tucson nonprofit organizations including the Arizona Hydrological Society (AHS), Tucson Clean & Beautiful (TBC), and a participating member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME).
Shawn holds Bachelors of Science degrees in both Environmental Science and General Science with a minor in Biology from Portland State University.