Alex Lechler

Director of Environmental Studies

he/him/his

Phone: 253-535-7744

Email: lechlear@plu.edu

Office Location: Rieke Science Center - 141

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/alexlechler/

  • Professional
  • Biography

Additional Titles/Roles

  • Associate Professor of Earth Science

Education

  • Ph.D., Geology, University of Michigan, 2011
  • B.A., Physics (Geophysics concentration), Cum Laude, Denison University, 2006

Areas of Emphasis or Expertise

  • Sedimentology
  • Stable Isotope Geochemistry
  • Tectonics
  • Paleoclimate

Biography

My research centers on mountain building processes and regional climate change and the associated influences of each on atmospheric dynamics. Specifically, I use stable isotope geochemistry, clumped isotope thermometry, detrital provenance techniques, and climate modeling to study the tectonic, topographic and climatic evolution of orogenic systems as recorded in proxies preserved in sedimentary basins.

As a teacher, I implement hands-on and field-based teaching strategies to engage students both inside and outside the classroom. I encourage students to be active learners who collaborate with classmates rather than compete, and I challenge them to apply the knowledge learned to their everyday lives so that they can be environmentally-conscious and scientifically-literate members of society.