Overview
The Aqueous Geochemistry and Mineralogy Group, led by Prof. Jeff Catalano, studies the geochemistry and mineralogy of terrestrial and planetary aquatic systems. Our group investigates processes that control the distribution and cycling of major and trace elements in the environment. These processes are controlled by chemical interactions between aqueous solutions and minerals, organic matter, and organisms. The goal of the group is to understand geochemical phenomena such as biogeochemical element cycling, contaminant fate, and mineral weathering on Earth and Mars. To accomplish these goals we apply laboratory-based analytical and microscopy tools, synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopic and scattering methods, and geochemical modeling techniques.
News
April 17-19, 2013: Prof. Catalano, postdoc Stev Chemtob, and graduate student Ryan Nickerson had beamtime at the Advanced Photon Source.
April 7-11, 2013: Prof. Catalano and graduate student Margaret Anne Hinkle presented their research at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans.
March 21-22, 2013: Prof. Catalano presented the results of Martian clay formation and alteration studies at the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference.
March 19-22, 2013: Postdoc Fabien Maillot had beamtime at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory.
March 4-8, 2013: Prof. Catalano was an invited speaker at the Monte Verità Conference on Iron Biogeochemistry in Ascona, Switzerland.
March 1, 2013: Prof. Catalano was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor, effective July 1, 2013.
February 27 to March 2, 2013: Graduate students Margaret Anne Hinkle and Katherine Becker had beamtime at the Advanced Photon Source.
November 26-30, 2012: A new Bruker D8 Advance powder XRD was installed this week, thanks to the generous support of the National Science Foundation.
November 9-12, 2012: Beamtime for everyone at the APS! Postdoc Fabien Maillot, graduate students Katherine Becker, Karyn Blake, Margaret Anne Hinkle, and Ryan Nickerson and undergraduate Liz Mitnick all attended.
August 27, 2012: Former graduate student Andrew Frierdich had a paper published in Environmental Science & Technology (link).
August 3-6, 2012: Postdoc Fabien Maillot had beamtime at the Advanced Photon Source.
July 13-16, 2012: Postdoc Fabien Maillot had beamtime at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory.
June 25-29, 2012: Postdoc Fabien Maillot and graduate student Margaret Anne Hinkle presented their research the at Goldschmidt Conference in Montreal, Canada.
June 6, 2012: Former graduate student Andrew Friedich had a paper published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (link).
May 20-23, 2012: Prof. Catalano presented research results on clay formation and alteration on Mars at the Third International Conference on Early Mars.
May 18, 2012: Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Frierdich on his graduation with a Ph.D. degree!
