Valerie Payré

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa. I combine sedimentology and igneous petrology to understand and constrain magmatic processes on Mars and other planets. I work on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity team, and was previously a ChemCam team member.

I completed my undergraduate and master's studies in Geochemistry at Ecole Normale Supérieure Ulm and Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris in France. I obtained my Ph.D. at Université de Lorraine (France) with Dr. Cécile Fabre and Dr. Violaine Sautter with a dissertation entitled "Contribution of the ChemCam instrument to the understanding of the martian primitive crust and the weathering processes at the surface of Mars – Alkaline and metal trace element quantifications using LIBS (Li, Sr, Rb, Ba and Cu)".  I did  postdoctoral research in Mars magmatism with Dr. Kirsten Siebach and Dr. Rajdeep Dasgupta at Rice University, and with Dr. Mark Salvatore and Dr. Christopher Edwards at Northern Arizona University.
Reach for the Star! STEM Festival Workshop

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​Zach Vig

My name is Zach Vig and I currently work as a full-time research assistant in the Planetary Exploration Lab. I graduated from the University of Iowa in 2022 with B.S. degrees in Physics and Geosciences. I am interested in studying large-scale planetary systems and how this knowledge can be translated into generalized theories of comparative planetology. My current project involves better characterizing the distribution of water ice at the lunar poles by utilizing several key datasets and predictive classification models. When I am not in te lab I love to hike, mountain bike and generally exist outside.


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Samantha Eberly

Major: Undergraduate student in Geoscience B.S.

Research: I use JMARS to analyze mineralogical data (specifically data from plagioclase and pyroxenes) of lava flows and calderas on Mars, using THEMIS and CRISM. From this data, I hope to be able to understand the formation history of these magmas.
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Favorite hobby: I love to read!


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​Al Zukowski

Hello, my name is Al Zukowski, I’m a second year Geosciences major at the University of Iowa, where I’m currently studying igneous and metamorphic petrology and structural geology. Some of the research I am currently working on involve studying impact phases of plagioclase caused by shock metamorphism, in order to revise models used to study the mineralogy of planetary surfaces using infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, I have an ongoing project using data from the Curiosity rover to analyze and characterize a suite of float rocks in Gale crater on Mars to better understand their formation mechanism. Outside of school and research, I spend my time weightlifting and spending quality time with my friends. I’m very excited to participate in the planetary group, and I can’t wait to see what we can learn!



Jessica Mettlin

Hello!
My name is Jessica, and I am an undergraduate working on a Geoscience bachelor's degree.
My research involves making different samples with feldspars, pyroxenes, and olivine with different ratios. Then processing them through the FTIR and comparing them to TES and THEMIS from NASA. The conclusion of the research is to determine if the grain sizes, (coarse grain to fine grained), affect the absorption or reflectiveness.
One of my favorite hobbies is singing! It is a great stress reliever and a quick refresher. Other hobbies include star gazing, painting, yoga and being with my loved ones.