Education
August 2021 - Present
Pennsylvania State University
Ph.D. Geosciences (expected Spring 2027)
Research Advisor: Dr. Roman A. DiBiase
Committee: Dr. Elizabeth Hajek, Dr. Anastasia Piliouras, Dr. Xiaofeng Liu
September 2016 - June 2020
University of California, Riverside
B.S. Environmental Sciences, Cum Laude
Concentration of Environmental Toxicology
Research Advisor: Dr. Jimmy Guilinger, Dr. Andrew B. Gray and Dr. Nicolas C. Barth
June 2019 - August 2019
University of California, Riverside Extension
Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Fundamentals
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Proficient in ArcGIS mapping software and coding using Python (Jupyter Notebook, Miniconda)
Awards
2025
NSF Student Seed Grant
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co-awarded with Michael J. Robinson
2024
2024
2025
2024
2024
2023
Scholten-Williams-Wright Scholarship in Field Geology
Kenneth N. Weaver Student Travel Grant
NSF/GSA Graduate Student Research Grant #16869
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co-awarded with Michael J. Robinson
Pottorf Endowment for Graduate Excellence
Lenker Graduate Scholarship
Hiroshi and Koya Ohmoto Graduate Fellowship
2022-2024
2019
The Paul D. Krynine Memorial Award
2019
2019
2018
2013
Albert Marsh Undergraduate Travel to Professional Meetings Award
Albert Marsh Undergraduate Research
Stolzy-Letey Environmental Scholarship
3rd Place in Plant Biology Senior Division
Los Angeles County Science Fair
Presentation at California State Science Fair
Peer Reviewed Publications
4. Robinson, M. J., Sanders, M. A., Fong, B. T., Scheingross, J. S., DiBiase, R. A., and Roering, J. J. Lithologic control on slot canyon formation. [in preparation for submission to GSA Bulletin].
3. Fong, B. T., DiBiase, R. A., Lamb, M. P., Minear, J. T., Corbett, L.B., Bierman, P. R. (2026). Slope and burn severity controls on post-wildfire dry-ravel loading of headwater channels in southern California, USA [submitted to JGR-ES].
2. Cowger, W., Gray, A. B., Guilinger, J. J., Fong, B., & Waldschläger, K. (2021). Concentration depth profiles of microplastic particles in river flow and implications for surface sampling. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(9), 6032-6041. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c01768
1. Guilinger, J. J., Gray, A. B., Barth, N. C., & Fong, B. T. (2020). The evolution of sediment sources over a sequence of postfire sediment‐laden flows revealed through repeat high‐resolution change detection. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 125(10), e2020JF005527. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005527
Presentations
15. Fong, B. T., and DiBiase, R.A. (2026, September). Streamlining point-cloud-based lidar change detection to test network-scale models of post-fire debris flow scour. In CLaSH General Meeting 2026. Boulder, CO. (Poster)
14. Fong, B. T., and DiBiase, R.A. (2025, December). Spatial patterns in debris flow scour following the 2020 Southern California wildfires. In AGU Fall Meeting 2025. EP42A-04. New Orleans, LA. (Talk)
13. DiBiase, R.A. and Fong, B. T. (2025, December). Spatial patterns in debris flow scour following the 2020 Southern California wildfires. In AGU Fall Meeting 2025. EP34B-04. New Orleans, LA. (Talk)
12. Sanders, M.A., Robinson, M.J., Fong, B.T., Scheingross, J.S., DiBiase, R.A., and Roering, J.J. Lithologic control on slot canyon formation. In Northern California and Northern Nevada Geomorphology Symposium. (Poster)
11. Fong, B. T., and DiBiase, R. A. (2024, December). Postfire Dry Ravel Loading and Its Relationship to Subsequent Debris Flow Scour Following the 2020 Apple, Bobcat, and El Dorado Fires. In AGU Fall Meeting 2024. EP53F-1560. Washington D.C. (Talk)
10. Fong, B. T., and DiBiase, R. A. (2024, September). Post-wildfire Dry Ravel Loading and Subsequent Debris Flow Scour Following the 2020 Apple, Bobcat, and El Dorado Fires in Southern California. In GSA Connects 2024. T53. Anaheim, CA. (Talk)
9. Fong, B. T., and DiBiase, R. A. (2024, May). Post-wildfire Dry Ravel Loading and its Relationship to Debris Flow Initiation Following the 2020 Apple, Bobcat, and El Dorado Fires in Southern California. In Establishing Directions in Postfire Debris Flow Science Conference. Lake Tahoe, CA. (Poster)
8. Fong, B. T., and DiBiase, R. A. (2023, December). Topographic and Geologic Controls on Post-wildfire Dry Sediment Loading in Channels using Repeat Airborne Lidar. In AGU Fall Meeting 2023. EP23D-1965. San Francisco, CA. (Poster)
7. Ibarra, D., Lau, K., Mitsunaga, B.A., Spearin, C., Chanchai, W., Fong, B.T., Ho, D. T., Kim, S., Legg, S., Rutberg, R., Wang, J., & Ying, S. (2023, December). Research opportunities for Asian American undergraduate students: successes and challenges of the AGILE internship program. In AGU Fall Meeting 2023. ED51C-0551. San Francisco, CA. (Poster)
6. Lau, K., Ibarra, D., Spearin, C., Mitsunaga, B. A., Chanchai, W., Fong, B. T., Ho, D. T., Kim, S., Legg, S., Rutberg, R., Wang, J., & Ying, S. (2023, October). Research opportunities for Asian American undergraduate students: successes and challenges of the AGILE internship program. In GSA Connects 2023. 192-11. Pittsburgh, PA. (Talk)
5. Fong, B. T., DiBiase, R. A., Druschel, G. A., & Walter, N. (2022, December). Unraveling Slope and Lithologic Controls on Post-wildfire Dry Sediment Loading in Channels Using Repeat Airborne Lidar. In AGU Fall Meeting 2022. EP25C-1416. Chicago, IL. (Poster)
4. DiBiase, R. A., Fong, B.T., and Walters, N. Large-scale Mapping of Post-wildfire Dry Sediment Loading Using Repeat Airborne Lidar in Southern California. In 2022 GSA Northeastern Sectional Meeting. Lancaster, PA. (Talk)
3. Fong, B. T., Guilinger, J. J., Barth, N. C., & Gray, A. B. (2019, December). Hillslope Boulder Displacement from Shallow Landslides. In AGU Fall Meeting 2019. EP43D-2396. San Francisco, CA. (Poster)
2. Fong, B. T., Guilinger, J. J., Barth, N. C., & Gray, A. B. (2019, November). Hillslope Boulder Displacement from Shallow Landslides. In UCR GIS Day 2019. Riverside, CA. (Poster)
1. Fong, B. T., Guilinger, J. J., Barth, N. C., & Gray, A. B. (2019, May). Hillslope Boulder Displacement in the Box Spring Mountains, CA. In SoCal Geomorph Symposium. San Diego, CA. (Poster)