October started out strong for the GGP department! 

Nearly two dozen undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty of GGP traveled to the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver, Colorado, Oct. 9-12.  

The GGP department hosted an alumni reception during the conference where current students and faculty were able to catch up and network with MSU alumni.  

GGP attendees served as co-authors of 25 different presentations reporting on new research findings from across the U.S. and around the globe. 

Student presenters: 

• Morgan McDoulett: “Tracking Magmatic Processes using Zircon Trace Element Composition at Cerro Uturuenu, Bolivia,” with co-authors Drew Laviada-Garmon, Cesar Bucheli-Olaya, Nathaniel Lenhard, Sarah Rasor and faculty adviser Dr. Gary S. Michelfelder. 
• Bennett G. Van Horn: “Modeling Crystal Residence Times Recorded in Plagioclase, Lascar Volcano, Central Andes Volcanic Zone,” advised by Michelfelder. 
• Sarah Rasor: “Dynamic and Timescales of Magmatic Processes at Uturunco Volcano, Bolivia,” with co-author Cesar Bucheli-Olaya and faculty adviser Michelfelder.  

• Nathaniel Lenhard: “Comparison of Magmatic Enclaves and Host Lava of the Chasca Orkho Series, Volcán Ollagüe, Chile,” with co-author Laviada-Garmon and faculty adviser Michelfelder. 
• César Bucheli-Olaya: “Reconstruction of Pre-Eruptive Magmas from Lascar Volcano (NE Chile) Using Apatite as a Compositional Proxy,” with faculty adviser Michelfelder. 
• Logan Rogers: “Nitrogen load in three streams of the James River watershed near Springfield, Missouri,” with faculty adviser Dr. Mélida Gutiérrez.  
• Dorian DeHart: “Building A Rating Curve for Streams in Springfield, Missouri,” with faculty adviser Dr. Douglas Gouzie. 
• Jaren Schuette: “Elemental Analysis of the Northview Formation Constrains Depositional Conditions,” with co-authors Damon Bassett and Dr. Charles Rovey and faculty adviser Michelfelder. 

• Chris Willingham: “Experimental Determination of Zinc, Potassium and Rubidium Diffusion Coefficients in Olivine and the Role of Diffusion in Moderately Volatile Element Fractionation in the Early Solar System,” with co-author and adviser Michelfelder. 
• Ramona Gomez: “Contamination Risks to the Springfield Aquifer by Assessing the Quality of Five Springs in Polk County, Missouri,” with co-author and adviser Gutiérrez. 

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