There are 25 undergraduate students pursuing their minor program of study in Planetary Sciences. These students have varied major home departments, including Astronomy, Engineering, Chemistry, and Geosciences. We're proud to profile two of our Planetary Sciences undergraduate minor students in this semester's newsletter.

Shavonne Morin

I have always been interested in learning more about our solar system. More specifically, I enjoy learning about the geology and chemistry of the planets.

What has been your favorite Planetary Sciences class and why? 

Chemistry of the Solar System (PTYS 407). Dr. Swindle was an excellent professor and the subject matter was very interesting. I especially enjoyed writing my term paper on my subject of choice. A close second was Geology and Geophysics of the Solar System (PTYS 411).

What are your future goals?

I plan on pursuing a Ph.D. in planetary science, or in geology, with a planetary science emphasis. I would love to become a professor for a research university .

Are you working on any current research projects?

I am working on an optical microscopy project with Dr. Jessica Barnes (LPL). We are focused on identifying and classifying the volcanic rock fragments present in Luna 16 & 24 soil samples, as well as doing electron microprobe analysis of the volcanic rock fragments identified. I also work as DTM (3D digital terrain map) producer for the HiRISE mission (LPL) where I make maps of the surface of Mars for planetary scientists. In my time there, I have made about 20 DTMs.

Tell us about yourself.

I have a passion for sustainability; I am called the recycling sheriff in my house and I love to shop secondhand at thrift stores. In my free time (which I have very little) I like to watch Netflix or YouTube, or read, to decompress.