My career began with research on glaciers, principally those gracing our Cascade Range volcanoes, and later on glacier-related floods and debris flows. Witnessing the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and taking part in the response set the course for several fascinating scientific projects. It also provided a front-row seat for observation and reflection regarding the role of science in society. As CVO’s Outreach Coordinator, I work in partnership with public officials, emergency planners, media, park interpreters, and educators to advance the cause of volcano preparedness.  Some earlier career choices have informed current work, including several years of teaching in a US public school and a private school in Kathmandu, Nepal, and working for the National Park Service.  My education continues daily through partnership projects and communications with the media, officials, and the public.

• USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, WA 1990-present
• USGS WA Water Resources District Office, Tacoma, WA 1987 – 1990
• USGS National Research Program Project Office – Glaciology, Tacoma, WA 1978 – 1986
• Education: M.S. Shippensburg State University of Pennsylvania, 1978; B.S. Bloomsburg State University of Pennsylvania, 1975

(Updated Oct. 2021)

Trevor is a Licensed Engineering Geologist with the Landslide Hazards Program at the Washington Geological Survey, where he studies landslides and helps communities under-stand and mitigate landslide hazards. He has worked for the WGS since 2006 in various positions and in the Forest Practices Division helping foresters understand landslides and evaluate timber harvest proposals.

Prior to working for the Survey, he worked for the Washington Department of Ecology, regulating well drilling and water well construction. Click here to see his bio:   https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_bio_contreras_trevor.pdf

In April 2021, Trevor presented a somewhat different lecture, this one focusing on “Geology and the Art of Stone Carving.”  (Updated Oct. 2021)