McGrath, an Assistant Professor of Geosciences, specializes in glacier dynamics and hazards, seasonal snow hydrology and climate change impacts. His research uncovers how glaciers respond to climate shifts and investigates the implications for water resources.

Using fieldwork and remote sensing, McGrath reveals patterns of glacier mass balance, crucial for understanding the global ramifications of ice loss. His work extends to studying wildfire effects on snowpack, informing effective water resource management in the western United States.

McGrath’s research appears in esteemed journals including Nature Communications and Geophysical Research Letters. With an M.A. and Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder, McGrath continues to advance understanding of Earth’s changing cryosphere (i.e., Earth’s frozen surfaces).