Education
Ph.D. — Earth Science, University of Toronto, 2022
M.Sc. — Environmental Science, University of West Florida, 2016
B.Sc. — Geology, University of Alabama, 2012
Research interests
Tectonic geomorphology; Geodynamic modeling; Mapping and GIS.
Articles in preparation
McMillan, M. and Schoenbohm, L. M. (Under review). Two styles of lithospheric dripping: Synthesizing gravitational instability models, continental tectonics, and geologic observations.
McMillan, M. and Schoenbohm, L. M. (In prep.) Geodynamics of continental back-arcs: Modelling lithospheric foundering under a weak crust in the Central Andes.
Publications
McMillan, M., Schoenbohm, L. M., Tye, A., McMillan, M. F., and Zhou, R. (2022). Early Eocene to Pliocene deformation of the southern Puna Plateau: Thermochronology, geochronology, and structural geology of the Antofalla Basin (NW Argentina). Tectonics. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022TC007252
Tye, A., McMillan, M., Schoenbohm, L. M. and Zhou, R. (2022). Late Cenozoic extensional formation of the Antofalla depression, southern Puna plateau, Argentina: An effect of lithospheric foundering. Tectonics. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021TC006807
Seagren, E., McMillan, M., and Schoenbohm, L. M. (2022). Tectonic control on drainage evolution in broken forelands: Examples from NW Argentina. Tectonics. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020TC006536
Schoenbohm, L. M. and McMillan, M. (2021). Worldbuilding from tectonic first principles: Integrating and challenging undergraduate knowledge through a course project. Journal of Geoscience Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2021.1908810
McMillan, M. and Schoenbohm, L. M. (2020). Large-scale Cenozoic wind erosion in the Puna Plateau: the Salina del Fraile Depression. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 125, e2020JF005682. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005682
McMillan, M., Liebens, J., and Bagui, S. (2018). A statistical model for streambank erosion in the northern Gulf of Mexico coastal plain. CATENA, 165, 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.01.027
McMillan, M. and Hu, Z. (2017). A watershed scale spatially-distributed model for streambank erosion rate driven by channel curvature. Geomorphology, 294, 146–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.03.017
McMillan, M., Liebens, J., Metcalf, C. (2017). Evaluating the BANCS streambank erosion framework on the Northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 53(6), 1393–1408. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12572
Liebens, J., Metcalf, C., and McMillan, M., (2016). Development of regional bank erosion relationships for the Coastal Plain hydrophysiographic region. Final Report, grant 13058, State Wildlife Grants. Florida’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Selected abstracts
McMillan, M., Tye, A., and Schoenbohm, L.M. (2021). Lithospheric dripping under a weak crust: Geodynamic modelling of the Southern Puna Plateau, Argentina. AGU Fall Meeting 2021.
McMillan, M., Tye, A., Schoenbohm, L. M., Zhou, R., and McMillan, M. F. (2020). Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Antofalla Basin in the Puna Plateau, NW Argentina. AGU Fall Meeting 2020.
McMillan, M. and Schoenbohm, L. M. (2019). Deciphering a large-scale, wind-dominated landscape in the Central Andes: Aeolian topography in the Salina del Fraile Depression, Southern Puna Plateau. AGU Fall Meeting 2019.
McMillan, M. and Schoenbohm, L. M. (2019). Deformation and exhumation of the Salina del Fraile, NW Argentina: Anatomy of a hinterland basin. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 21, EGU2019-12341.
McMillan, M. and Schoenbohm, L. M. (2018). Synthesizing global lithosphere removal events: Scale, style, and surface deformation. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 18, EGU2018-10881.
Liebens, J. and McMillan, M. (2016). A practical streambank erosion model for the coastal plain of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Denver, CO. September 25-26, 2016.
McMillan, M. and Liebens, J. (2016) Streambank erosion model for the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain. EcoStream 2016: From Ridgeline to Thalweg, Asheville, NC. August 22-25, 2016.
McMillan, M., Liebens, J., and Metcalf, C. (2016). Predicting annual streambank erosion rates in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain: BEHI and beyond. Rocky Mountain Stream Restoration Conference. Breckenridge, CO. July 19-21, 2016.
McMillan, M. and Liebens, J. (2015). Streambank erosion modeling: Improving field methods. American Water Resources Association Conference. Denver, CO. November 16-19, 2015.
Liebens, J., M. McMillan, and Cambron, D. (2015). Predicting stream bank erosion on the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain: Pitfalls and solutions. National Association of Environmental Professionals. Honolulu, HI. April 13-16, 2015.
Grants
| Postdoctoral Fellowship (Pending) | 2022 | NSF (EAR-PF) | $180,000 |
| Graduate Student Research Grant | 2015 | GSA | $1,250 |
| Graduate Student Research Grant | 2015 | GCAGS | $2,000 |
| Travel Grant | 2015 | AWRA | $400 |
Scholarships
| Cameron Allen Explorers Graduate Fellowship | 2020 | University of Toronto |
| Ontario Trillium Scholarship | 2017–2021 | University of Toronto |
| Outstanding Graduate Student Scholarship | 2015 | University of West Florida |
| Undergraduate Student Research Scholarship | 2012 | University of Alabama |
| Outstanding Undergraduate Student Scholarship | 2010–2012 | University of Alabama |
Awards
| Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award | 2017 | University of West Florida |
| Outstanding Student in General Chemistry | 2010 | University of Alabama |
| Outstanding Student in Ancient Greek | 2010 | University of Alabama |
Research experience
Research/Teaching Assistant, University of Toronto Mississauga, 2017–2021
ERS101 Planet Earth lab; ERS202 Dynamic Earth lab; ERS302 Tectonics; ERS 111 Earth, Climate & Life
Research/Teaching Assistant, University of West Florida, 2014–2016
GLY2010 Physical Geology lab
Intern, Department of Natural Resources Management, Escambia County, FL, 2015
Researched and delivered a manuscript on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
Research Assistant, University of Arizona, 2013
Geologist, Longleaf Energy Group, Inc., 2012–2013
Research Assistant, University of Alabama, Dept. of Geological Sciences, 2012
Other experience
Founder, Cool Font LLC, www.coolfont.co, 2016–Present
We develop apps for iPhone, Android, and Windows with a focus on utilizing the internal sensors of modern smartphones.
Writing: McMillan, M. Pangea’s Handiwork. Mobile Bay Magazine. January 2015.
Open-source software: github.com/mitchellmcm27