Dr. Brachfeld is the Acting Vice Provost for Research at Montclair State University. Dr. Brachfeld's team in the Office of Research supports and facilitates research production, administration, and compliance. Dr. Brachfeld is particularly interested in working across university divisions and offices to build our culture of research, modernize Montclair's research infrastructure, engage in research master planning, and advance Montclair's leadership role in New Jersey as a public doctoral research university.

Dr. Brachfeld is an active researcher with expertise in marine geology, Antarctic System Science, paleoclimatology, paleomagnetism, environmental magnetism, and planetary magnetism. Dr. Brachfeld has earned over $3.35M in research funding from the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, International Ocean Discovery Program, and Antarctic Drilling Program, and served as PI or co-PI on 5 instrumentation grants. She has served as an invited member of advisory boards for NSF-funded facilities and programs including the Institute for Rock Magnetism, Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility, US Polar Rock Repository, and the Polar Subcommittee of the NSF Geoscience directorate.

Dr. Brachfeld has participated in 11 marine geology and geophysics and paleoceanographic expeditions to Antarctica, the North Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean aboard the research vessels Nathaniel B. Palmer, Laurence M. Gould, US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, JOIDES Resolution, Marion Dufresne, and the Araon, and served in leadership roles as watch chief on 6 expeditions. She was an invited member of the Antarctic Drilling Program (ANDRILL) science team. Eight Montclair State University students have joined Dr. Brachfeld on these expeditions. Dr. Brachfeld is especially proud of her 70+ Montclair State University student advisees who are now gainfully employed as environmental professionals, geoscientists, K-12 educators, education and outreach specialists, government employees, postdocs, professors, and pursuing advanced STEM degrees.

Dr. Brachfeld previously served as Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Director of the PhD program in Environmental Management, Graduate Program Coordinator and Undergraduate Program Advisor for the MS and BS programs in Earth and Environmental Science, and was the Founding director of the electron microscopy facility now known as the Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Laboratory.

Dr. Brachfeld has longstanding interests in student fellowships and research grants, professional development and career planning, academic leadership development, and helping students and early career scientists locate level-appropriate research grant programs. She serves as a Resource Faculty Member for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Please see her links section for pointers to student scholarships, student research grants, graduate and postdoctoral research fellowships and websites listing job opportunities in geoscience, environmental science, geography, sustainability, and GIS.