Current & Past Graduate Students

Rhiannon Mayne ‹rmayne@utk.edu›
(PhD student) University of Edinburgh
Rhiannon focuses on the petrology and near-infrared spectra of eucrite meteorites, in preparation for the DAWN mission which will orbit and map asteroid Vesta.

Tasha Dunn ‹tdunn@utk.edu›
(PhD student) Tulane
Tasha is using a newly developed XRD technique to determine modal mineralogy of ordinary chondrites. This data will be used to re-examine three fundamental questions regarding ordinary chondrite petrogenesis: (1) changes in redox state during metamorphism, (2) peak metamorphic conditions for the formation of feldspar, and (3) spectral calibration for determining mineral proportions in chondrites and asteroids.

Ben Norton ‹mbnorton@utk.edu›
(MS student) University of Arizona
Ben is quantifying the proportions of petrologic components (chondrules, refractory inclusions, metal grains, matrix) in carbonaceous chondrites using electron probe mapping. These data will be used to constrain chemical mixing models for these accreted materials.

Ian McGlynn ‹imcglynn@utk.edu›
(PhD student) University of Virginia
Ian's research attempts to understand weathering processes on Mars by studying the chemical, mineralogical, and textural properties of Martian soils.

Andrew Beck ‹abeck3@utk.edu›
(MS student) Albion College
Andrew is characterising the petrology and geochemistry of olivine-bearing diogenite meteorites from Antarctica, to aid in the interpretation of Vesta data obtained by the Dawn spacecraft.

Past Students

Marvin Bennett
(PhD 1995) Stephen F. Austin University
Marvin's study of the effects of shock on metal and sulfide grains in ordinary chondrites provided a scale for shock metamorphism. He also formulated a thermal model for metamorphism of ordinary chondrite asteroids.

Lauren Browning
(PhD 1995) University of Texas, Austin
Lauren's research focused on aqueous alteration processes in carbonaceous chondrites, and provided a scale for the degree of alteration experienced.

Karla Kuebler
(MS 1997) University of Kansas
By measuring the sizes and shapes of chondrules and metal grains in ordinary chondrites, Karla was able to calculate their masses. These data suggest aerodynamic sorting of chondrite components in the nebula.

Heather Gastineau
(MS 2000) Ball State University
Heather's research focused on changes in the compositions and proportions of minerals during thermal metamorphism of L and LL chondritic meteorites, and explored the implications for asteroid spectroscopy.

Josh Chamot
(MS 2000) College of William & Mary
Josh studied changes in the compositions and proportions of minerals during thermal me metamorphism of H chondritic meteorites.

Mike Wyatt
(PhD 2002) Pennsylvania State University
Using a variety of terrestrial volcanic rocks, Mike helped calibrate the TES instrument on Mars Global Surveyor, and performed petrologic interpretations of TES data.

Kathy Ocker-Stone
(PhD 2002) Sam Houston State
Kathy measured the isotopic composition of xenon in several martian meteorites, to assess xenon composition in the mantle and crust of Mars.

Karen Stockstill
(PhD 2005) Michigan State University
By re-homogenizing trapped melt inclusions in martian cumulate meteorites, Karen determined the compositions of their parent magmas. She also used spacecraft thermal emission data to search for evaporites in craters on Mars.

Valerie Slater
(PhD 2005) University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Valerie performed geochemical analyses of light lithophile elements (Li, Be, B) in Hawaii Deep Drill Core samples to understand how these elements partition in plume magmas. She compared the results with shergottite meteorites.

Livio Tornabene
(PhD 2007) University of South Florida
Livio's research focused on using thermal emission spectra from the THEMIS instrument on Mars Odyssey and the TES instrument on Mars Global Surveyor to map the martian subsurface exposed in central uplifts in craters.

Jeff Nettles
(PhD 2007) College of Charleston
Jeff's research involved characterization of the least-melted chondrules in meteorites, to understand their precursors. He also used x-ray tomography to measure metal grain sizes and shapes to model nebular sorting.

Keith Milam
(PhD 2007) Western Kentucky University
Keith's doctoral research projects included THEMIS assessment of the Gusev MER landing site, and a systematic search for hydrothermally altered materials on Mars.