Dr. Hesse's research centers on mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of porous media in the earth and environmental sciences. It is motivated by fundamental interest in the dynamics of the underlying physical and chemical processes and a desire to contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources. While his research is motivated by topics of current interest (i.e. CO2 storage), he aims to extract fundamental scientific questions that have value beyond their current application. By focusing on the underlying physical and chemical processes in porous media rather than the particular geological phenomenon Dr. Hesse hopes to integrate and advance the different modeling approaches in these currently separate fields. His long term goal is a comprehensive theory for deforming reactive porous media.