Our EPS students did an outstanding job presenting their research and serving as ambassadors for Rutgers science. They initiated many new collaborations and generated new/updated project ideas, and the response from colleagues was overwhelmingly positive. Several attendees commented on the quality of the students’ work and the strength of our program.
We also got a tour of the University of Arizona Mineral Museum, designed and founded by Bob Downs (University of Arizona), where we saw world class exhibits dedicated to Mineral Evolution, the rich mineral and mining history of AZ, gemstones, and much more!
David Tibbits shared results from his investigation of isotopic signatures in anthraxolite inclusions in Herkimer diamonds, using geochemical constraints to illuminate the broader geologic history of the region.
Shaunna Morrison presented a poster on our mineral association analysis framework for predicting previously unknown mineral localities, including recent updates applying the method to predict unknown minerals in Gale crater, Mars using CheMin data.
Jarrod Burges presented an excellent poster describing a new mathematical framework to distinguish igneous versus metamorphic zircon origins based on complex REE geochemistry.
Zak Jibrin presented a compelling talk on his experimental work investigating the controls on guanine crystallization and biomineralization mechanisms.
Kate Hendrickson delivered a strong presentation on her work characterizing site substitution across thousands of mineral species and chemical analyses, using network analysis to reveal large-scale trends across the mineral kingdom.
Lindsay Podjasek presented her work developing a mineralogical database and map of the Moon, highlighting the scientific questions this foundational tool will enable.