2013-2014 COMPRES Distinguished Lecturers

published Jul 2, 2013 3:21pm
Dear Colleagues,

COMPRES, the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences, announces the speakers for its 2013-2014 Distinguished Lecture series in the field of Mineral Physics. The talks feature topics that emphasize the exciting high-pressure geoscience research being conducted within the COMPRES community and its significance for understanding fundamental Earth and planetary processes.

The primary target audience for these lectures is undergraduates in departments of geology and related sciences at non-PhD granting institutions, but applications from all academic institutions in the U.S. are welcome.

We are pleased to announce that the COMPRES Distinguished Lecturers for 2013-2014 are Mark Frank of Northern Illionis Univeristy and Jennifer Jackson of the California Institute of Technology. Their lecture titles are given below, and their titles, abstracts and bios may be viewed on the COMPRES Home Page at: www.compres.us. We invite you to request a visit of a COMPRES lecturer to your institution during the next academic year by following the instructions below.

COMPRES will fund all travel costs for the speaker, including transportation, accommodation and meals. There is no cost to the hosting institution.
If your institution is interested in requesting a visit, please send your request to Jay Bass, President of COMPRES [jaybass@illinois.edu] with a copy to Heather C. Watson (watsoh2@rpi.edu).

The Lecture Program is designed to run from September 2013 through May 2014. Lecturer requests received by July 31, 2013 will be given priority. Later applications will be considered on an as-available basis. In making your request please include:

1. The name of a contact person at your institution for the months of June to August. This is when schedules will be assembled.
2. Contact e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
3. Lecturer preference and flexibility.
4. Preferred semester and/or month for the visit, including flexibility. Also, if this is to be part of a regular lecture series, tell us the day of the week and time of the series.
5. Airport proximity and travel time to your institution

We hope that your Department will be interested in hosting one of these mineral physics lecturers in this academic year.

The COMPRES Distinguished Lecturers for 2013-2014 :

Mark Frank, Northern Illinois Univeristy: (1) Exploring the Interiors of Icy Planets: A discussion of recent experimental efforts to understand the composition and structure of the interiors of icy planets and satellites. These new results complement results from the Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini-Huygens missions that have provided invaluable information about the surfaces of these bodies. (2) Liberation and Significance of Subduction-Derived Mantle Fluids: Using diamond anvil cells as a direct window to observe fluid generation in subduction zones, and a discussion of fluid's role in dynamic subduction zone processes.

Jennifer Jackson, California Institute of Technology: (1) A Journey Inside Planet Earth: A discussion of our understanding of the deep interior of Earth by combining cutting -edge experiments at extreme conditions, recent geophysical observations and geodynamic modeling. (2) Earth's Core-Mantle Boundary: Exploring the complexity and challenges of the Earth's most dramatic and inaccessible interface using new high pressure experimental and analytical techniques.

Please contact Heather C. Watson at watsoh2@rpi.edu with any questions or for more information.