In April, I had the opportunity to return to Augustana for the first time since graduating in 2018, this time as an invited speaker. It was great to see how much the campus has grown and to meet with faculty and current students. During my visit, I gave two talks: one to an upper-level geology class titled From Diamonds to Mantle Dynamics: The Role of Davemaoite in Earth’s Deep Interior, and another to the physics department later that day, titled Reproducing Planetary Interiors in the Lab Through Extreme Pressure–Temperature Experiments.

While at Augie, I also had the chance to tour the impressive new physics labs and check out the geology department’s new 3D models of perovskite—some of which are shown in the photo above.

I’m happy to share that on April 2nd, I successfully defended my thesis: The Physical Properties of Iron–Nitrogen–Carbon Alloys Within Planetary Cores. The full thesis will be available on ProQuest next year!

Shortly after the defense, my advisor, friends, and colleagues organized a celebration; complete with balloons, drinks, snacks, and incredible donuts decorated to look like planets!~

Recently I was awarded the Zeits endowed fellowship to research the stability of lower mantle perovskites within laser-heated diamond anvil cells at Michigan State University.

Perovskites are the most abundant materials within Earth’s interior and are used in a range of material science applications (photodetectors, lasers, solar cells, LEDs, and neuromorphic devices).  Components of my PhD thesis investigate the trends in perovskite stability to discover new materials. The perovskites that are of interest to me are stable within Earth’s lower mantle, davemaoite (CaSiO₃) and bridgmanite (MgSiO₃), and makeup ~80 vol% of all minerals on Earth. These lower mantle minerals are not stable on Earth’s surface and can be grown within a laboratory setting using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell.

This summer I went on a road trip across the country to participate in an internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The trip was filled with numerous camp sites with amazing views. The photo below is from badlands national park.

While at LLNL, I worked on two projects. The first project involved investigating the high-pressure Cr3+ luminescence of a natural MgAl2O4 spinel, up to 54 GPa. The second project focused on the Raman scattering of rhenium under extreme pressures for secondary pressure calibration. These projects provided me with hands-on experience and strengthened my understanding of high-pressure physics.

In addition to my work at Lawrence Livermore, I conducted experiments at Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. This summer’s experiences have been instrumental in my professional development helping me grow as a researcher.

I recently had the joy of teaching students and the local community about the electrical conductivity of minerals at MSU’s science festival. Alongside my colleagues Heidi, Eric, Devika, and Lusia, we engaged with eager young minds through interactive experiments.

The highlight was seeing students’ eyes light up as they discovered new concepts. It was a day filled with learning, laughter, and the shared excitement of exploration.

As we wrapped up, we were already excited for next year, filled with ideas to make science even more accessible and fun. This experience was a beautiful reminder of the power of education and the joy of collective discovery.