Meet the lab group!
Hannah M. Aird, Ph.D.
Hannah Aird is an Associate Professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department, CSU Chico. Hannah’s research and teaching interests are in intrusive igneous petrology, economic geology and the interactions of fluids with rocks. She applies field studies, petrography and geochemical techniques to study how fluids interact with rocks and their role in ore deposit formation.
Matthew Wagoner (MS in progress)
Matthew’s research involves lithologic and petrographic characterization of cores from the Superior deposit, Indian Valley, CA. Core samples were provided by US Copper Corp, and funding from NSF. This project is funded by NSF award EAR-CH 2240250.
Maggie Pierce (MS in progress)
Maggie’s research involves characterizing alteration assemblages in the Lights Creek Stock and modeling the pluton’s emplacement. She is using a combination of petrography, XRF and ICP-MS analysis. This project is funded by NSF award EAR-CH 2240250.
Israel Martinez (BS in progress)
Israel’s research involves characterizing the Engels gabbro and diorite units associated with the Lights Creek Stock, in terms of their petrography, geochemistry and geochronology. This project is funded by NSF award EAR-CH 2240250.
Leeah Schultz (BS in progress)
Leeah’s research involves characterizing the felsic dikes that crosscut the Engels gabbro to determine whether they are related to the Lights Creek Stock, in terms of their petrography and geochemistry. This project is funded by NSF award EAR-CH 2240250.
Chloe Beasley (BS in progress)
Chloe’s research involves determining the composition of amphiboles across the Lights Creek Stock to estimate the pressure and temperature conditions under which it was intruded. This project is funded by NSF award EAR-CH 2240250.
Former Lab Members
Elisabeth Kennedy (MS candidate 2021)
Elisabeth’s M.S. thesis involved characterizing the ultramafic rocks and Tuscan Formation in the Paradise area, with respect to naturally occurring asbestos. She used a combination of petrography, SEM and XRD analyses to determine mineralogy of the rocks, and morphology/composition of individual mineral grains. She is now running her own asbestos consultancy company.
Erica Thompson (BS 2023)
Erica’s research involved investigating the compositionally zoned plagioclase from different rock types in the Bald Rock Pluton, Butte County, CA. She conducted an in-depth analysis of the oscillatory zoning of the plagioclase crystals to decipher the magmatic processes which formed the Bald Rock Pluton. Erica previously conducted a research project characterizing and interpreting the down-hole petrology of a deep drill core from the Turquoise Ridge deposit operated by Nevada Gold Mines. She is now a graduate student at Colorado School of Mines.
Matthew Wagoner (BS 2023)
Matthew’s research involved reassessing the formation of the Bald Rock Pluton using whole rock geochemistry and hornblende geobarometry with the Magma Chamber Simulator modeling software to evaluate how the pluton formed. Matthew previously conducted a research project characterizing and interpreting the down-hole petrology of a deep drill core from the Turquoise Ridge deposit operated by Nevada Gold Mines. He also conducted a research project on the geochemistry of ultramafic rocks and their derivative soils in the Magalia area, with respect to heavy metal mobilization and transport. He is now a graduate student in this lab.
Alonso Diaz (BS 2023)
Alonso’s research involved characterizing the soils formed from ultramafic rocks in the Paradise area, with respect to naturally occurring asbestos. He also investigated whether heating samples before analysis affected the resulting SEM and XRD data.
Julianna McCracken (BS in progress)
Julianna’s research involved characterizing the stream-borne sediments of Little Butte Creek and Middle Butte Creek in the Paradise area, with respect to naturally occurring asbestos. She collected pre-rain, post-rain and creekbed sediments for analysis by SEM.
Morelia Ayala (BS 2022)
Morelia’s research involved the petrographic and geochemical characterization of the generations of tourmaline in the Moonlight deposit, Indian Valley, CA. Core was provided by Crown Mining Corp.
Alexis Lopez (MS 2020)
Alexis’ M.S. thesis involved the lithologic and petrographic characterization of cores from the Moonlight deposit, Indian Valley, CA. Cores and support were provided by Crown Mining Corp. She is now a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mario Velazquez (BS 2020)
Mario’s research involved the lithologic and petrographic characterization of the Bald Rock Pluton, Oroville, CA. His project involved integrating petrographic, lithologic, geochemical and structural data to interpret the geologic history of this pluton. This project was funded by a Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity grant to HMA in spring 2019. He is now a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jocelyn Bermudez (BS 2020)
Jocelyn continued the research project started by Ceara Purcell, Nancy DeWitt and Jimmy Matthews. Her project involved integrating petrography and EDS analyses to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the different mineralized zones of the Ann Mason deposit, NV.
Twyla Capurro (BS 2020)
Twyla worked on determining the sequence of mineralization and alteration in the Ann Mason deposit, NV. Her project involved integrating transmitted and reflected light petrography to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the different mineralized zones of the Ann Mason deposit, NV. She is now working for California Fish and Wildlife.
Justin Claiborne (BS 2020)
Justin is working to determine the sequence of mineralization and alteration in the Ann Mason deposit, NV. His project involves integrating transmitted and reflected light petrography to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the different mineralized zones of the Ann Mason deposit, NV. He is now working for US Copper Corp.
Maggie Pierce (BS 2019)
Maggie’s undergraduate research project involved the petrographic and geochemical characterization of the Lights Creek Stock, which hosts the Moonlight deposit. She is now a graduate student at Chico State (see above).
Andre Bourret (BS 2019)
Andre’s undergraduate research project involved the lithologic and petrographic characterization of alteration types in the Moonlight deposit, Indian Valley, CA. He is now working for a geotechnical company in the Bay Area.
Zachary Meisel (BS 2019)
Zach’s research involved collecting EDS data which will be used to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the Bn-Cp zone of the Ann Mason deposit, NV.
Sommer Casady (MS candidate 2018)
Sommer’s M.S. thesis involved the detailed mapping and petrographic characterization of the Golden Dome deposit, Antelope Valley, CA. She is currently working in the mineral exploration industry.
Jimmy Matthews (BS 2018)
Jimmy was working to continue the research project started by Ceara Purcell and Nancy DeWitt. His project involved integrating petrography and EDS analyses to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the different mineralized zones of the Ann Mason deposit, NV. Jimmy is now working at the Gemological Institute of America.
Andrew Guglielmo (BS 2018)
Andrew’s undergraduate research involved using a combination of petrography and geochemistry to unravel the host rock of the altered rocks at Golden Dome. He went on to become a graduate student at Sacramento State University.
Andrew Napier (BS 2017)
Andrew’s undergraduate project involved producing a field trip guide to the Coast Range and Klamath Mountain region of northern CA and southern OR. This field guide was tested by the S2017 GEOS 402/403 class and the re-edited version has become a permanent feature of the course.
Nancy De Witt (BS 2017)
Nancy’s undergraduate project involved integrating petrography and EDS analyses to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the Bn-Cp zone of the Ann Mason deposit, NV. She is now working for a forestry company.
Ceara Purcell (BS 2017)
Ceara’s undergraduate thesis involved integrating petrography, EDS and WDS analyses to characterize the precious metal-bearing assemblages of the different mineralized zones of the Ann Mason deposit, NV. She is now a graduate student at the University of New Mexico.
