Rate My Professor Bridget Konter

Bridget Konter is a distinguished geophysicist in the field of Geoscience, serving as Associate Professor with Tenure in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso from August 2012 to January 2014. She earned her Ph.D. in Earth Science and Geophysics from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego in 2005, and her B.S. in Physics and Astronomy with a minor in Mathematics from Northern Arizona University in 1999, graduating magna cum laude and as Outstanding Graduating Senior in Arts and Sciences. Prior to UTEP, she held an Assistant Professor position at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from January 2008 to August 2012. During her time at UTEP, Konter received the University of Texas System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2011 and the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Outstanding Research Award from UTEP in 2009. She also earned the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award in 2009.

Konter's research specializations include earthquake cycle modeling through 4-dimensional computer simulations of fault systems, crustal deformation mechanics, stress evolution for seismic hazard assessment, geodetic analysis using GPS/GNSS and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), seafloor geodesy, and planetary tectonics, with emphasis on the San Andreas Fault System and Kilauea volcano. Key publications encompass 'Locking depths estimated from geodesy and seismology along the San Andreas Fault System: Implications for seismic moment release' (2011, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth), 'High-resolution interseismic velocity data along the San Andreas Fault from GPS and InSAR' (2013, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth), 'The ShakeOut Scenario: Effects of a potential M7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas fault in southern California' (2008, US Geological Survey Open-File Report), and 'Accuracy and resolution of shuttle radar topography mission data' (2003, Geophysical Research Letters). At UTEP, she chaired graduate theses, including 'Seismic Investigation of the Southern Rio Grande Rift' and 'Characterization of Thrust Faults on the Moon Using Fault Dynamics.' Konter has served as Principal Investigator on multiple NSF-funded projects, on the UNAVCO Board of Directors (2020-2022), and as Director of the Earth Science on Volcanic Islands REU (2019-2025), demonstrating significant impact in computational geophysics and education.