Sam Pierce

About:

I study how beaver damming reshapes surface water–groundwater interactions and the resulting impacts on river water quality. My research focuses on how floodplain modification by beavers drives the repartitioning of metals, carbon, and other solutes, helping to clarify when the wetlands they create act as sources or sinks for contaminants and nutrients. As an undergraduate at Colorado State University, I studied Environmental Engineering and became particularly interested in applying quantitative tools to scientific questions about natural systems. Internships in Denmark, Svalbard, and Colorado further shaped my interest in the dynamics of freshwater ecosystems. Prior to joining the Fendorf Lab at Stanford, I worked as a field technician for the SLAC National Laboratory Floodplain Biogeochemistry Science Focus Area. My fieldwork is based out of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Crested Butte, Colorado, where I investigate water quality dynamics in natural beaver wetlands and floodplain restoration sites. I’m passionate about the role of field stations in supporting long-term research, education, and public engagement.

When I’m not in the field or lab (or admiring the masterful work of nature’s engineers), you can usually find me riding my bike or backpacking somewhere fun! Funding: U.S. Department of Energy, Watershed Function Science Focus Area Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Graduate Student Research Grants Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Enderlein and Watt Endowment Fellowships Colorado Mountain Club Foundation, Al Ossinger Fellowship

Publications:

5. B. Stewart, E. Spielman-Sun, M. Marcus, S. Pierce, K. Boye, V. Noel (2026). Organic colloid composition in variable-redox porewaters within a mountainous floodplain, Water Research. [link]

4. L. Wang, T. Babey, Z. Perzan, S. Pierce, M. Briggs, K. Boye and K. Maher (2025). Quantifying groundwater response and uncertainty in beaver-influenced mountainous floodplains using machine learning-based model calibration, Water Resources Research. [link]

3. T. Babey, Z. Perzan, S. Pierce, D.B. Rodgers, L. Wang, R. Carroll, J.R. Bargar, K. Boye and K. Maher (2024). Mountainous floodplain connectivity in response to hydrological transitions, Water Resources Research. [link]

2. M. Engel, V. Noël, S. Pierce, L. Kovarik, R. K. Kukkadapu, J.S.L. Pacheco, O. Qafoku, J. R. Runyon, J. Chorover, W. Zhou, J. Cliff, K. Boye, and J. R. & Bargar (2023). Structure andcomposition of natural ferrihydrite nano-colloids in anoxic groundwater, Water Research. [link]

1. K. D. Chadwick, P. G. Brodrick, K. Grant, T. Goulden, A. Henderson, N. Falco, H. Wainwright, S. Pierce, … K. Maher. (2020). Integrating airborne remote sensing and field campaigns for ecology and Earth system science, Methods in Ecology and Evolution. [link]

Education:

2025 – M.S. Earth System Science, Stanford University

2019 - B.S. Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University