Students Gain Research Knowledge at New Mexico Tech: New Mexico Tech

Students Gain Research Knowledge at New Mexico Tech

July 29, 2022

Minerals and Fluids Camp provides exposure to geoscience labs, field work, and modeling

Group photo of Minerals Camp participants — Students, faculty, and staff involved in the Minerals and Fluids Summer Camp pose for a group photo before a field visit to the Lemitar Mountains northwest of Socorro July 26, 2022.

SOCORRO, N.M. – A weeklong summer camp at New Mexico Tech recently provided a venue for undergraduate students from New Mexico and other states to be exposed to research, field work, and lab opportunities related to geochemistry and minerals, especially rare earth elements. The Minerals and Fluids Summer Camp offered July 25 to 29, 2022, was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote science and educational opportunities for students traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Minerals Camp participants in Lemitar Mountains — Students participating in the Minerals and Fluids Summer Camp at New Mexico Tech, gain field experience and learn about field methods studying a critical mineral deposit location July 26, 2022, in the Lemitar Mountains northwest of Socorro.

Dr. Alexander Gysi, an economic geologist in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and an assistant professor in the Earth and Environmental Science Department, organized the first-ever camp as an outreach component of his NSF Early Career Grant.

Dr. Alexander Gysi in lab — Dr. Alexander Gysi, an economic geologist in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and an assistant professor in the Earth and Environmental Science Department, teaches students about lab techniques during the Minerals and Fluids Summer Camp.

Dr. Gysi recognized the need for such a camp when, in reviewing dozens of graduate school applications, he saw that students from other universities don’t always have the same type of exposure to hands-on research opportunities that students at Tech receive during their undergraduate years.

Dr. Alexander Gysi, an economic geologist in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and an assistant professor in the Earth and Environmental Science Department, gives students in the Minerals and Fluids Camp pointers on studying thin section samples of minerals under microscopes.

“The goal of this summer school is actually to give an opportunity to students to learn about New Mexico Tech, to learn about our NSF-endowed research, to get practical research experience, and also to interact with researchers known in their field,” he said. “We do research in economic geology, we study ore deposits. There are not that many universities that give that education.”

Brian Garcia of Las Cruces, a participant in the Minerals and Fluids Camp at New Mexico Tech and a geological sciences major at New Mexico State University, prepares to study a mineral thin section sample under a microscope.

During the week, students participated in workshops, discussions, and lectures on ore-forming processes. They also gained laboratory skills and experience, working in the bureau’s Ore Deposits and Critical Minerals and Raman MRI labs for hands-on experimental work, used microscopes for studying thin sections, and performed a mineral analysis of a water sample. Students also gained field experience and learned about field methods studying a critical mineral deposit location in the Lemitar Mountains northwest of Socorro.

Genevieve Bergin of Tucson, Arizona, a participant in the Minerals and Fluids Camp at New Mexico Tech who studies geology at the University of Arizona, studies a mineral thin section sample under a microscope.

“We have the field component, where we do geology,” Dr. Gysi said. “We have the laboratory component, where we do some experimental work, so fundamental research. We also have the modeling part, in which we use the computer to try to simulate these natural systems. It’s a good opportunity for them to come and kind of have a dip into three areas that span from fundamental research to applied geosciences for societal applications.”

Devlon Shaver of Bosque Farms, a mineral engineering graduate student at New Mexico Tech, studies a mineral thin section sample under a microscope.

A main focus of the camp, Dr. Gysi said, is studying critical rare earth elements, which are used in hybrid cars, energy efficient lights, cell phones, and computers.

“These elements have significant now and future applications in green technology and high-technology industries,” he said. “There’s a high interest to learn more about the geology -- where deposits are and how to extract them.”

Amber Rivera, Brian Garcia — Amber Rivera of Tucumcari, New Mexico, left, a geological sciences major from New Mexico State University, uses a microscope to observe pieces of muscovite surrounded by quartz in a thin section sample. Brian Garcia is at right.

The camp also provided students with multiple opportunities to interact with Tech faculty and scientists, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows to learn about their research and career opportunities in the geosciences.

“One of the goals – and also part of the NSF mission – is to make students aware of this field of science and also how we can apply the fundamental research to real-world problems,” Dr. Gysi said.