Education
1990 Ph.D. (Environmental) Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton;
1986 M.S. Civil Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton;
1984 B.S. Civil Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton.

Employment
– Interim Chair – May 2013 to Present and August 2009 to August 2010;
– Professor – August 2009 to Present;
– Associate Professor – September 1996 to August 2009;
– Assistant Professor – July 1990 through August 1996;
– Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Coordinator Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative – October 2008 to May 2009;
– Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931-1295
– Visiting Associate Professor – September 2005 through November 2005 Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina;
– Visiting Associate Professor – January 1999 through December 1999 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware;
– Summer Research Faculty Visitor – June 1991 to August 1991
Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831.

Research
Dr. Gierke’s graduate work and the first decade of his faculty career  focused research on techniques for removing and treating volatile organic contaminants in soils and groundwater. His research approaches included computer modeling and laboratory and field studies. This work was funded US Federal Agencies, including the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and Department of Agriculture. In the most recent decade, his research has focused on water availability and natural hazard mitigation, primarily in developing countries. This work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and is conducted in collaboration with universities and hazard agencies in countries such as Ecuador, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The research activities include computer modeling, field studies, and remote sensing.

Current Research Activities
1) “Professional Development for Teachers to Incorporate Place-Based and Culturally Centered Earth System Investigation in Pre-College Curricula at Native American Community Schools” Michigan Space Grant Consortium, $7500, May 2014-April 2015.
2) “Increasing Native American Involvement in Geosciences through Interdisciplinary Community-Based Student Investigations,” Michigan Space Grant Consortium, $5000, May 2013-April 2014.
(renewed for an additional $5000 for 2014-15)
3) “Remote Sensing for Hazard Mitigation and Resource Protection in Pacific Latin America Project,” National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education, $2,544,000,
September 2005 – December 2013. Although the project recently concluded from a budgetary perspective, formally one collaboration with Prof. J. F. Cruz at the University of El Salvador-FMP continues through a U.S. National Science Foundation-USAID funding program for Partnerships to Enhance Engagement in Research (PEER). The project funding is for the international partner and the project title is, “Demonstrating the integration of ground-based monitoring and satellite remote sensing for forecasting landslides and flooding hazards in volcanic terrains.”
4) Participating Faculty in INVOGE, a partnership with Université Blaise Pascal – Clermont-Ferrand II (France), University of Milan-Bicocca, and University at Buffalo. International collaborators: Prof.  Alessandro Tibaldi (UMB) and Benjamin van Wyk de Vries (UBP).

Recent publications relevant to this project
1. Smith, D.M., T. Oommen, L.J. Bowman, J.S. Gierke, S.J. Vitton, “Assessment of Rainfall  Induced Landslides on the Northern Flank of San Vicente Volcano in Central El Salvador,”  Natural Hazards, revised and resubmitted.
2. Bruning, J.N., J.S. Gierke, and A.L. Maclean, “An Approach to Lineament Analysis for  Groundwater Exploration in Nicaragua,” Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 77(5)  509-519, 2011.
3. Rios-Sanchez, M., J.S. Gierke, and A.L. Maclean, “Utilizing Digital Image Processing  Techniques to Identify and Characterize Fracture Patterns in the Quito, Ecuador Aquifer  System,” International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, under revision.

Honours
– 2013 Diploma de Reconocimiento, La Universidad de El Salvador Facultad Multidisciplinaria  Paracentral, Por su contribución al desarrolo científico y académico de la Facultad  Multidisciplinaria Paracentral, especfícamente en el diseño del Proyecto de Investigación,  denominado: Demonstración de la Intecración del Monitoreo Insitu y la Teletección por Satélite  para la Predicción de Deslizamientos e Inundaciones en Terrenos Volcánicos.
– 2012 John I. Davidson President’s Award for Practical Papers, 3rd Place, for paper published in  Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing;
– 2009 Editorial Board for Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
– 2007 Presidents Council State Universities of Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year;
– 2004 Associate Editor for Ground Water Monitoring Remediation, National Ground Water Association;
– 2004 Editor’s Citation for Excellence for Refereeing in Water resources Research, American  Geophysical Union;
– 1992 U.S. Dept. of Energy Environmental Restoration & Waste Management Distinguished Junior Faculty Award;

All publications
Summary of Research and Scholarship: More than USD$6.5M since 1991 as PI and co-PI. 38 peerreviewed  works (papers, monographs, book chapters, etc.) and 22 conference proceedings papers. hindex
= 13.

Professional Memberships: Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan (Lic. No.  6201039135), Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, American
Geophysical Union, National Ground Water Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, Society  for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.