Shaunna joins us from the Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory (EPL) after spending 5 years there as an Endowed Carnegie Research Scientist. Prior to that, she was a postdoctoral fellow at EPL, and received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona Department of Geosciences.
Shaunna explores large, interdisciplinary questions through a mineralogical lens, leveraging minerals as time machines to decode the evolution of environments, planets, and the universe. Her work builds on a strong foundation in crystallography, crystal chemistry, and Martian mineralogy, employing cutting-edge techniques in multidimensional, multivariate analysis and machine learning to uncover the complex relationships among Earth and planetary materials, their formation through deep time, and their coevolution with the biosphere.
Her research encompasses a range of topics, including identifying and characterizing mineralogical signs of life, data-driven approaches to understanding the coevolution of the
geosphere and biosphere, and exploring mineral relationships in Earth and planetary systems. Shaunna is a key contributor to Martian mineralogy, and is a Co-Investigator of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Mission (CheMin), with a focus on advancing our understanding of crystal chemical behavior and the planetary processes recorded in minerals.
Her expertise and innovative approaches present exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration at Rutgers, bridging mineralogy, planetary science, astrobiology, and data science. If you are interested in learning more, or to discuss research opportunities, please contact Shaunna at
Welcome, Shaunna!
