Maddy Doyle

Fluvial Geomorphologist

Maddy is a fluvial geomorphologist interested in the way rivers evolve through both natural forces and human intervention. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Maddy grew up backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, where the granitic outcrops and glacially-carved valleys inspired her love for geology and geomorphic processes. She pursued these interests at Occidental College, where she investigated mountain uplift of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountain Ranges using drainage basin metrics and remote sensing.

Her broad interest in how rivers shape landscapes was further explored while earning a master’s degree in geology from San José State University. Her thesis focused on the geomorphic response to dam removal in a small coastal watershed within the Santa Cruz Mountains, combining field surveys, remote sensing, and sediment analysis to better understand the role of climate change and extreme weather events in post-removal river systems and the implications for salmonid habitat.

Maddy never expected to leave California for the Midwest, but in 2025 she joined Inter-Fluve’s Saint Paul office, bringing her West Coast perspective to new landscapes, and finally getting the chance to experience seasons.