Colin Phillips
Water
Assistant Professor
Contact Information
Office Location: ENGR 234Phone: 435-797-0938
Email: colin.phillips@usu.edu
Additional Information:
Biography
I received my BA in Geology from UC Berkeley and a PhD in Earth & Environmental Science from the University of Pennsylvania. I worked as a postdoctoral fellow for six years within Civil & Environmental Engineering Departments at the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University.
Teaching Interests
Earth surface processes, hydrology, sediment transport, fluid mechanics, sustainability, and data analysis.
Research Interests
My research focuses on water and sediment, with an emphasis on the fundamental processes through which they are transported through the environment and result in the evolution of river corridors, watersheds, and landscapes. My research includes a mix of field and laboratory experiments combined with the synthesis of large environmental data streams. My research is motivated to address problems of water and land sustainability, management, and conservation of natural and human resources over societally relevant timescales.
Awards
Teacher of the Year, 2023
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Teaching Excellence, 2023
College of Engineering
NatureNet Science Fellowship, 2018
Nature Conservancy
EAR Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2014
National Science Foundation
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Saavedra Cifuentes, E., Teitelbaum, Y., Shimony, T., Arnon, S., Dallmann, J., Phillips, C., Packman, A., (2023). Turbulence-drive clogging of hyporheic zones by fine particle filtration. Geophysical Research Letters, doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105002
- Shimony, T., Teitelbaum, Y., Saavedra Cifuentes, E., Dallmann, J., Phillips, C., Packman, A., Arnon, S., (2023). Kaolinite Deposition Dynamics and Streambed Clogging During Bedform Migration under Losing and Gaining Flow Conditions. Water Resources Research, doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR034792
- Hernandez, L., Rivera, V., Akosa, D., Phillips, C., Hatch, S., Miller, W., Packman, A., (2023). Road salt intrusion dynamics in an ex-urban native prairie-wetland complex. PLOS Water, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000148
- Hosseiny, H., Masteller, C., Dale, J., Phillips, C., (2023). Development of a Machine Learning Model for River Bedload . Earth Surface Dynamics, 11, doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-681-2023
- Phillips, C., Masteller, C., Slater, L., Dunne, K., Francalanci, S., Lanzoni, S., Merritts, D., Lajeunesse, E., Jerolmack, D.J, (2022). Threshold constraints on the size, shape and stability of alluvial rivers. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00282-z
- Teitelbaum, Y., Shimony, T., Saavedra Cifuentes, E., Dallmann, J., Phillips, C., Packman, A., Hansen, S., Arnon, S., (2022). A novel framework for simulating particle deposition with moving bedforms. Geophysical Research Letters, doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097223
- Dallmann, J., Phillips, C., Teitelbaum, Y., Saavedra, E., Sund, N., Schumer, , Arnon, S., Packman, A.I, (2021). Bedform segregation and locking increase storage of natural and synthetic particles in rivers. Nature Communications, 12, doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27554-4
- Ouellet, V., Khamis, K., Croghan, D., Hernandez Gonzalez, L., Rivera, V., Phillips, C., Packman, A.I, Miller, W., Hawke, R., Hannah, D., Krause, S., (2021). Green roof vegetation management alters potential for water quality and temperature mitigation. Ecohydrology, doi: doi.org/10.1002/eco.2321
- Teitelbaum, Y., Dallmann, J., Phillips, C., Packman, A.I, Schumer, R., Sund, N., Hansen, S., Arnon, S., (2021). Dynamics of fine particle deposition and hyporheic exchange flux under moving bedforms. Water Resources Research, doi: doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028541
- Dallmann, J.D, Phillips, C., Teitelbaum, Y., Sund, N., Schumer, R., Arnon, S., Packman, A.I, (2020). Impacts of suspended clay particle deposition on sand-bed morphodynamics. Water Resources Research, 56, doi: doi.org/10.1029/2019WR027010
- Phillips, C., Jerolmack, D.J, (2019). Bankfull transport capacity and the threshold of motion in coarse-grained rivers. Water Resources Research, 55, doi: doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025455
- Hernandez-Gonzalez, L.M, Rivera, V., Phillips, C., Haug, L.A, Hatch, S.L, Yeager, L., Chang, H., Alvarez, J., Gnaedinger, K.J, Miller, W.M, Packman, A.I, (2019). Characterization of soil profiles and elemental concentrations reveals deposition of heavy metals and phosphorus in a Chicago-area native preserve, Gensburg Markham Prarie. Journal of Soils and Sediments, doi: doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02315-5
- Preziosi-Ribero, A., Packman, A.I, Escobar-Vargas, A., Phillips, C., Donado, L., Arnon, S., (2019). Fine sediment deposition and filtration under losing and gaining flow conditions: A particle-tracking model approach. Water Resources Research56, doi: doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026057
- Phillips, C., Dallmann, J.D, Jerolmack, D.J, Packman, A.I, (2019). Fine-particle deposition, retention, and resuspension within a sand-bedded stream are determined by streambed morphodynamics. Water Resources Research, 55, doi: doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025272
- Phillips, C., Hill, K.M, Paola, C., Jerolmack, D.J, (2018). Effect of flood hydrograph duration, magnitude, and shape on bed-load transport dymanics. Geophysical Research Letter, 45, doi: doi:10.1029/2018GL078976
- Fox, A., Packman, A.I, Boano, F., Phillips, C., Arnon, S., (2018). Interactions between suspended kaolinite deposition and hyporheic exchange flux under losing and gaining flow conditions. Geophysical Research Letters, doi: doi:10.1029/2018GL077951
- Phillips, C., Jerolmack, D.J, (2016). Self-organization of river channels as a critical filter on climate signals. Science, 352, 694-697. doi: doi:10.1126/science.aad3348
- Phillips, C., Jerolmack, D.J, (2014). Dynamics and mechanics of bed-load tracer particles. Earth Surface Dynamics, 2, 513-530. doi: doi10.5194/esurf-2-513-2014
- Phillips, C., Martin, R.L, Jerolmack, D.J, (2013). Impulse framework for unsteady flows reveals superdiffusive bed load transport. Geophysical Research Letters, 40:7, 1328-1333. doi: doi:10.1002/grl.50323
- Phillips, C., Scatena, F.N, (2013). Reduced channel morphological response to urbanization in a flood-dominated humid tropical environment. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, doi: doi:10.1002/esp.3345
- Ewing, C., Falcini, F., Martin, R.L, Masteller, C., Phillips, C., Reitz, M.D, Buynevich, I., (2012). Internal boundary layer model for the evolution of desert dune fields. Nature Geoscience, doi: doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1381
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
Other
- Phillips, C., (2021). Alluvial River Bankfull Hydraulic Geometry. Hydroshare *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Teaching
CEE 3500 - Civil and Environmental Engineering Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2023
CEE 6500, 5500 - Open Channel Hydraulics with an Emphasis on Gradually Varied Flow, Fall 2023
CEE 6660 - Environmental and Hydrologic Data Analysis and Experimentation, Spring 2023
CEE 3500 - Civil and Environmental Engineering Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2022
CEE 6500, 5500 - Open Channel Hydraulics with an Emphasis on Gradually Varied Flow, Fall 2022
CEE 3500 - Civil and Environmental Engineering Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2021
CEE 6500, 5500 - Open Channel Hydraulics with an Emphasis on Gradually Varied Flow, Fall 2021
CEE 3500 - Fluid Mechanics, Fall 2020
CEE 6500, 5500 - Open Channel Hydraulics with an Emphasis on Gradually Varied Flow, Fall 2020
Graduate Students Mentored
Michaela Shallue, Civil & Environmental Engr, January 2024
Ishwar Joshi, Civil & Environmental Engr, October 2023
Aaron Sigman, Civil & Environmental Engr, August 2023
Jose Castejon, Civil & Environmental Engr, August 2023
Jesse Bower, Civil & Environmental Engr, August 2023
Aaron Sigman, Civil & Environmental Engr, August 2021 - December 2023
Gabriel Benitez, Civil & Environmental Engr, August 2020 - August 2022