Advanced Instructor, Geology Program Coordinator
Geophysics, Geodesy
Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 501-916-5764
Office: ETAS 329C
Education
| Degree | Subject | Year | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | Geosciences | 2014 | University of Arizona |
| MS | Geosciences | 2008 | University of Arizona |
| BS | Geology | 2006 | University of Wyoming |
| BS | Geography | 2006 | University of Wyoming |
Professional Biography
Dr. Spinler was born and raised in southern Minnesota where geology was limited to boulders in parks left by past glaciations and the occasional tar seep in old gravel pits. He attended the University of Wyoming, originally as a physics and astronomy major, but after taking a Physical Geology course from Dr. Carol Frost, he was hooked on earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters. Dr. Spinler graduated with B.S. degrees in both geology and geography in 2006 from the University of Wyoming. He then moved to Tucson, Arizona, to attend graduate school at the University of Arizona. Dr. Spinler obtained his M.S. degree in geosciences in 2008, followed by a Ph.D. in geosciences in the summer of 2014. His dissertation focused on observing and modeling the present-day crustal deformation field of the greater southern San Andreas fault system in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. Dr. Spinler used high-rate GPS data and models of crustal deformation to investigate active fault-slip rates and to characterize the strength and relaxation properties of the lithosphere following large continental strike-slip earthquakes. He worked for one year (2014-2015) as a post-doctoral researcher in the Tectonic Geodesy Laboratory at the University of Arizona before being hired as an instructor at UA Little Rock in the summer of 2015.
When possible, Dr. Spinler continues to work on interesting tectonic problems in southern California. The most recent results from this on-going project were published in early 2021 in the journal Geosphere (https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02239.1). Dr. Spinler is an active member in the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.
Teaching Interests
In his current role as an instructor, Dr. Spinler’s primary focus is on teaching. He teaches multiple courses each semester in multiple modalities (face-to-face, online, hybrid, webcast), focusing primarily on introductory-level core science courses. He routinely teaches courses in Physical Geology (GEOL 11103), Earth and the Environment (GEOL 11203), and Historical Geology (GEOL 11343), as well as the lab courses associated with each of those (GEOL 11101, GEOL 11201, and GEOL 11331, respectively). He also regularly teaches upper-level courses such as Field Geology I (GEOL 32003), Field Geology II (GEOL 42003), and Geophysics (GEOL 44404), and has taught Structural Geology (GEOL 33004) when needed. Dr. Spinler has also coordinated student trips to national meetings and multiple week-long Spring Break field trips to National Parks across the United States (GEOL 45403). He also has a strong personal interest in how science is portrayed in movies, and looks forward to the next time he can offer Earth Science In Movies (an upper level geology elective) again!