Matt Cooper

I grew up in California’s Central Valley, where I became fascinated by the Sierra Nevada mountains—how glaciers and rivers shaped these landscapes and, in turn, the valley where I lived. I developed an awareness of local environmental issues like groundwater contamination, motivating me to pursue an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on water resources at UC Santa Cruz. After college, I worked as a field technician in Sequoia National Park, where I reconnected with my early passion for mountains and rivers. It was during this time that I became acutely aware of the impacts of climate change, steering me toward my current path as a researcher and educator focused on the Earth’s cryosphere—including snowpack, permafrost, and glaciers—and its role in the broader climate system.

I earned an MS in snow hydrology from Oregon State University, where I deepened my understanding of the physical processes governing snowmelt and its importance for people and ecosystems. This interest led me to UCLA, where I completed a PhD focused on the hydrology of the Greenland Ice Sheet. My research combines fieldwork with numerical modeling to explore how changes in snow and ice affect watershed processes and broader environmental systems. In the classroom, I aim to leverage my research and field experience to engage students with the complexities of hydrology, its significance in addressing real-world environmental challenges, and how it shapes the world around us.

Academic Credentials

PhD 2020, University of California, Los Angeles, Geography
MS 2015, Oregon State University, Water Resources Science
BA 2009, University of California, Santa Cruz, Environmental Studies, Minor in Earth Science

Teaching

ESS 280: Fundamentals of Hydrology