His general area of expertise is geomorphology, the study of the natural features of the earth and the physical processes that shape them. Dr. Houser is currently finishing up a Texas Sea Grant-funded study to analyze public perceptions of the rip current hazard on surf beaches. He and Dr. Christian Brannstrom conducted a survey of beach users on two heavily used public beaches in Texas with the help of graduate students Heather Lee, Sarah Trimble and Ana Santos. The results will be used to aid the development of new educational materials that improve the ability of beach users to identify and respond to hazardous rip conditions.