Education

PhD, 2000, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

Major: Planetary Sciences. GPA=3.71. Dissertation title: "Geochemistry and ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar Geochronology of Lunar Meteorite Impact Melts"

BS, 1993, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY.

Major: Geology, minor: English. GPA=3.71 general, 3.78 major, cum laude and with departmental honors.

Mercy High School, Albany, NY.

Valedictorian

Positions Held

2004-present

Research Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico. Self-funded research position. Petrology, microbeam geochemistry, 40Ar-39Ar geochronology, and geochemical modeling to determine impact history in meteorites and lunar rocks. Understanding igneous and impact ages in the context of large-scale planetary bombardment, particularly the cataclysmic event at 3.9 Ga. Computer modeling of asteroid thermal histories with emphasis on constraining the temperature and duration of a liquid water phase.

2003-2004

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of New Mexico, A. J. Brearley and R. Jones. Kinetic experiments of aqueous alteration processes and pathways using hydrothermal synthesis, XRD, TEM, and ion probe techniques. Design and planning for renovation of UNM Meteorite Museum.

2001-2003

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, K. Keil. Discovery of several discrete partial melting events on the ureilite parent body by studying the petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology of feldspathic clasts in polymict ureilites using petrographic microscope, electron microprobe, scanning electron microscope, and geochemical modeling.

2000-2001

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Tennessee, L. A. Taylor. Petrology and mineral chemistry of new lunar meteorites Dhofar 025 and Dhofar 026. Electron microprobe and geochronology of basaltic fragments from Luna 16, 20, and 24 landing sites.

1996-2000

Graduate Research Associate, University of Arizona, T. D. Swindle. Use of the 40Ar-39Ar dating technique to determine lunar impact melt ages from lunar meteorites using petrographic microscope, electron microprobe, noble gas extraction line.

1993-1996

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arizona, W. V. Boynton. Thermochemistry of clathrate hydrates using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and gas chromatography. Limited work toward DSC instrument on the MVACS platform of Mars Climate Surveyor.

1992

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Colgate University, R. April. Field projects (mapping and interpretation) across the U.S., followed by investigation of pink-tinted chonetes fossils (Onondaga Formation, NY) using petrographic and scanning electron microscopes.

1989-1993

Undergraduate Research Assistant, SUNY Stony Brook, D. Lindsley, J. Parise, M. Schoonen. Low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis experiments, including ankerite and ferroan dolomites and zeolites, using pressure apparatus and furnaces, hydrothermal apparatus, electron microprobe, and powder and single-crystal X-ray diffractometers.

Grants Awarded

PI, NASA Mars Exploration Rover Participating Scientist Program 2005, "Investigating the Nature and Origins of Martian Impact Material with the Mars Exploration Rovers"

PI, NASA Cosmochemistry Program 2004, "Geochemistry and Geochronology of Granulitic Clasts in Lunar Meteorites"

Co-I, NASA Education and Public Outreach Program 2004, "Renovation of the University of New Mexico Meteorite Museum" (PI: Rhian Jones, University of New Mexico)

Co-I, NASA Cosmochemistry Program 2000, "Petrogenesis of planetary crusts and mantles and meteorites" (PI: Lawrence Taylor, University of Tennessee)

Co-I, NASA Cosmochemistry Program 2000, "Mineralogy and Spectral Properties of Lunar Soils" (PI: Lawrence Taylor, University of Tennessee)

Co-I, NASA Cosmochemistry Program 2000, "Noble gas studies of early solar system history" (PI: Tim Swindle, University of Arizona)

Collaborator on several funded proposals to NASA and NSF programs

Competitive Honors and Awards

National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (not taken), NASA JSC, D. Bogard (2003)

Honorable mention, Best Student Paper award sponsored by the Meteoritical and Geochemical Societies (2001)

NASA Space Grant Fellowship (1997-1999)

NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship (1994-1997)

University of Arizona Graduate College Fellowship (1993-1994)

Simons Scholarship at SUNY Stony Brook (1989-1993)

Professional service and Memberships

CAPTEM Lunar Sample Subcommittee (2005-present)

Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTEM) (2003-05)

Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) team (2003-04)

LPSC Program Committee (2002-03, 2005)

Meteoritical Society Program Committee (2001)

Convener, LPSC Special Session, Early lunar cratering and the impact chronology of the terrestrial planets (2002)

Reviewer:

Meteoritics and Planetary Science, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Nature, Science, Geology, Reviews of Earth and Planetary Science

NASA Cosmochemistry, Planetary Geology & Geophysics, Origins, Lunar Prospector Data Analysis Programs

U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation

Member:

American Association for Women in Science

Meteoritical Society

American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences

American Geophysical Union

Phi Beta Kappa Society

Golden Key National Honor Society

Sigma Beta Honor Society, SUNY Stony Brook

Invited Presentations

American Museum of Natural History, New York NY (11/2005)

Natural History Museum, London (8/2005)

New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Socorro NM (1/2005)

U.S. Geological Survey, Albany NY (12/2004)

University of New Mexico, Geology Club, Albuquerque NM (8/2004)

University of New Mexico, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Albuquerque NM (5/2004)

LPSC Special Session, Early lunar cratering and the impact chronology of the terrestrial planets, Houston TX (3/2001)

Origins of Life NSCORT, Renssalaer Polytechnical Institute, Renssalaer NY (11/2000)

Various print and radio (popular media) interviews