Trent Biggs
MA (2000) and PhD (2003), Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara
A.B. (1995), Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
tbiggs@sdsu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Google Scholar Link
ORCiD
Github repo
For appointments, please see available times at this calendar (only accessible from SDSU-based gmail accounts).
Current Students
Camila Abe (PhD student): Water resources and pasture response to drought in the Brazilian Amazon
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Adam Oliphant (PhD student): Remote Sensing, Irrigation Technology, Agricultural Economics, Water Availability, Watershed Management
Adam Oliphant is a PhD student at San Diego State University and UC Santa Barbara’s Geography Joint Doctoral Program. His research quantifies agricultural water use and evaluates conservation in arid regions, currently focused on California’s Imperial and Coachella Valleys. By combining satellite data (OpenET) with hydrologic modeling, he bridges the gap between field-level practices and basin-scale impacts. His work examines how policy, technology, and cropping patterns influence water consumption and return flows. This research provides data helpful to manage the Colorado River Basin amid increasing scarcity
Oliphant, A., Biggs, T., (2026, April 17). Water-saving technologies and consumptive water use: A case study in the Imperial Valley. Project status presented at the EDUFAM Conference, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.
Oliphant, A., Biggs, T., Linking water-balance ET and OpenET to agricultural productivity in a major Colorado River irrigation district. Presented in the session “Advances in Remote Sensing for Rural Water Quality and Infrastructure Mapping” at the American Association for Geographers Annual Meeting, San Francisco, United States.
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Stephanie Hurtado-Gonzalez (MS): NOAA CESSRST Scholar: Mapping heat stress in farmworking communities, Imperial Valley
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Sneha Korat (MS): Water quality in the Tijuana Estuary
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Alma Quintero (MS): Remote sensing of air pollution in the Imperial Valley
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Drake Valencia (MS, co-supervised by Dan Sousa): Near-surface heat stress in agricultural fields
Sirena Rodriguez (MS): Global crop intensity mapping, funded by USDA Better Food Futures
Sabrina Vargas (MS): Remote sensing of water quality
Alumni
PhD
5. Justin Bissell (2025): Stream network dynamics and salmon habitat, geospatial modeling of habitat
4. Kris Taniguchi (2018), Channel erosion in Tijuana, Mexico.
Current position: Scientist, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
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3. Michael Beland (2018). Mapping oil-affected salt marsh vegetation, Louisiana.
Current position: Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences and Environment, California State University, Los Angeles
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2. Napoleon Gudino-Elizondo (CICESE, Thomas Kretzschmar co-supervisor, 2018), Hillslope and gully erosion in Tijuana, Mexico.
Current position: Research faculty, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (UABC) Ensenada, Mexico.
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1. Alex Messina (2016), Sediment dynamics in a coral-reef embayment.
Current position: Senior Scientist, Stormwater Division, WSP consulting
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MS
34. William Walker (MS): Urbanization and riparian vegetation change
33. Elise Piazza (MS): Geophysical controls on milk production, Brazilian Amazon
32. Stephany Garcia (MS, Co-advisor Dan Sousa), NOAA CESSRST Scholar: Remote and real-time sensing of water quality. Current position: Staff Scientist, Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association (SWIA)
31. Ibisia Jack (MS, 2024): Mapping plastic using hyper-resolution UAV imagery and machine learning
30. Elena Aguilar (MS, co-advisor Dan Sousa), NOAA CESSRST Scholar: Remote sensing of unmanaged plastic waste.
Current position: Water Sector Community Engagement Specialist, Michael D Baker.
29. Mallorie Honey (MS, 2023): Remote sensing of woody vegetation in pastures of the Amazon.
Current position: Quartic Solutions, GIS Analyst
28. Margot Mattson (MS, 2023, Co-advisor Dan Sousa): Water and wetlands in Mexico
Current position: US-Colombia Fulbright Researcher
27. Emily Deardorff (2022): Machine learning to predict flow in semi-arid watersheds.
Current position: Water Resources Data Scientist, Lynker, NOAA National Water Center.
26. Gabriela Morales (2021), NOAA CESSRST Scholar: Water and agriculture in the Imperial Valley
Current position: GIS Analyst, SDSU Research Foundation
25. Benjamin Downing (2021): Channel adjustments to urbanization, Tijuana.
Current position: Field researcher, SIO Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes
24. Effrain (Ye) Mu (2021). Forests and hydroclimate of the Amazon Basin.
Current position: PhD student, UC Santa Barbara
23. Roberts, Sarah (2020). Groundwater change following lining of the All American Canal, Imperial Valley.
Current position: Hydrologist, United States Geological Survey
22. Jones, Kyle (2020, A. Skupin Chair). Monitoring cropping systems in California’s Imperial Valley.
Current position: Vice president of Retail Network Planning, CitiGroup
21. Luis de la Torre (2019), Solute transport in channelized and natural streams.
Current position: Hydrologist, WSP
20. Garrett McGurk (2019), Geochemical fingerprinting to identify sediment sources, Tijuana
Current position: Hydrologist, SIO Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes
19. Joel Kramer (2018), Agricultural dynamics in the Mexicali Valley
Current position: Regional Agricultural Specialist, Resource Conservation District of San Diego County; Lecturer, SDSU
18. Rodney Feddema (2018), Groundwater quality in Mexicali Valley
Current position: Project scientist, Environmental Incentives
17. Lara Barrett (2018), Parsimonious rainfall-runoff modeling
Current position: Land Use/Environmental Planner, County of San Diego Watershed Protection Program
16. Maegan Salinas (2017): Opportunities for water conservation in Imperial Valley, California informed by EEFLUX and Landsat EVI.
Current position: Environmental Scientist, California Department of Food and Agriculture
15. Yelena Granovskaya (2017): Mapping agricultural change in the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys, 2002-2014.
Current position: GIS Analyst, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
14. Jason Allen (2017): Evaluating differences in riparian vegetation in semi-arid watersheds of San Diego County.
Current position: President, Black Sage Environmental
13. Greg McCormick (2017): Land use impacts on stream water nutrients in American Samoa.
Current position: Staff Scientist, WSP
12. Alex Messina (2012): Mapping drought in the Krishna Basin with remote sensing
Current position: Project scientist, WSP
11. Whitney Seymour (2016): Hydrologic and geologic controls on groundwater recharge along the Mojave River floodplain aquifer.
Current position: Geographer, United States Geological Survey
10. Alex Samarin (2015): Assessing sensitivity and exposure of irrigated agriculture to drought in the Krishna River Basin, India
Current position: GIS Analyst at KTUA Planning and Landscape Architecture
9. Taya Lazootin (2015): Retention and release of stream water and nutrients downstream of an urban center in San Diego County
Current position: Professor of Geography, Mira Costa College and Lecturer, San Diego State University.
8. Kris Taniguchi (2014): Regional Impacts of Urbanization on Stream Channel Geometry
Current position: Project Scientist, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
7. Raymond Lee (2014): Hydrologic, Climatological, and Biogeochemical Controls on Thermal Structure and Anoxia in Four Hypereutrophic Drinking Water Reservoirs
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University
6. Cleo Neculae (2011): Key controls of stream temperature in Rock Creek, Oregon [electronic resource] : implications for restoration of riparian vegetation
Current position: Watershed Cleanup Lead and Lecturer, Washington Department of Ecology
5. Rebecca Lesher (2011): Climate change impacts to a high altitude lake in the Indian Himalaya
Current position: Geologist at Oneida Total Integrated Enterprises (OTIE)
4. Emily Perkins (2011): Irrigation controls on atmospheric water vapor, southern India
Current position: Geographer, Western Ecological Research Center, United States Geological Survey (USGS)
3. Heather D’Anna (2010): A spatial-temporal analysis of copper and zinc from antifouling paint in Pier 32 Marina, National City, California
Current position: Wastewater Environmental Specialist, City of Oxnard
2. Shannon Webber-Anzelon (2010): The role of local watersheds on sediment accumulation in the Tijuana Estuary Reserve
Current position: GIS manager, Vista Irrigation District
- Teressa Whittaker (2009): Sources of snowmelt runoff in the Merced River Basin.
Current position: Senior Restoration Ecologist, AECOM
Undergraduate alumni
Callie Summerlin (BS, 2024)
Hargun Kaur (2023): surveys of plastic
Kelsey Durrett (2023): trash inventories: Current position: AECOM
Joey Vink (2022): macroplastic sampling
Riley Barnett (2022): macroplastic sampling
Erin Shives (2021), storm runoff in San Diego. Current position: MS student, Yale University School of the Environment
Dennis Quach (2019), Water quality in San Diego. Current position: Air quality specialist, Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Hannah Carney (2019), Stable isotopes for determining groundwater sources. Current position: PhD Student, University of Wyoming
Nadine Garrison-Barham (2019), Quantification settlement agreement
Kimberly Livers (2018), Dissolved oxygen in the lower San Diego River.