
Dr. James Day
Professor
jmdday@ucsd.eduI am a geologist and geochemist focusing on the research of volcanism and what the mineralogy and composition of rocks can tell about how the planets formed and evolved to their present-day states. I study asteroids and products formed in the mantle of Mars, the Earth, and the Moon. I also study terrestrial basaltic volcanism to further understand crust formation processes and the role of volcanism on Earth system cycles.
Click here to learn more about James

Dr. Sarah Aarons
Assistant Professor
smaarons@ucsd.eduI am an isotope geochemist interested in understanding and tracking earth surface processes in a variety of environments on both geologic timescales and throughout the modern. Some examples of previous research include tracing mineral dust provenance in Antarctic ice during major climate transitions, and exploring the effects of physical and chemical weathering on newly developed isotope systems. This research involves clean lab chemistry and high precision isotope analysis on a thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) or a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICPMS). There is also the potential to incorporate a significant amount of fieldwork depending on the research area and project. If you are interested in conducting research please feel free to contact me.
Post-Docs

Dr. Emily A. Pringle
Scripps Post-Doctoral Fellow
eapringle@ucsd.eduI am interested in the early evolution of Earth and other bodies in the inner Solar System, including the processes of accretion, core formation, and silicate differentiation.
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Graduate Students

Eleanor (Carrie) McIntosh
Graduate Student (PhD)
ecmcintosh@ucsd.eduFormation and Evolution of the Moon

Brian Oller
Graduate Student (PhD)
boller@ucsd.eduTectonics and mantle geochemistry (co-advised by Prof. N. Driscoll)
Alumni
Ph.D. Students

Dr. Joyce Shi Sim
Post-Doctoral Associate at Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington
ssim@carnegiescience.eduPh.D in Geophysics, 2018
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Dr. Brad Peters – PhD Geochemistry 2016 – Post-Doctoral Fellow, Carnegie Institution for Science
Master’s Students

Jennifer Maria Benavides
MS 2018

Brendon Mendenhall

Nicole D. Phelan
MS 2018

Eric Snortum
MS 2018
Kim Reed – MS 2016
Chris Corder – MS 2015
Jorge Perez – MS 2013
Caitlin Traver – MS 2013
Visiting Scientists and Post-Docs
Dr. Lukas Ackerman – Fulbright Scholar 2016 – Czech Academy of Sciences
Dr. Kim Tait – Visiting Scholar 2014-2015 – Curator, Royal Ontario Museum
Dr. Chris Waters – Post-Doc 2011-2014 – Teaching Professor, Mesa College
Undergraduate Researchers

Allison Kubo
Undergraduate Researcher
akubo@ucsd.eduPetrogenesis of terrestrial and martian igneous rocks