Olivia Cox is a Planetary Geosciences major with a minor in Astrobiology. Olivia always knew she wanted to study the Solar System, but was not sure which major would best align with this interest. She took a geology class in her freshman year, and learned she also liked studying the rocks and minerals that make up Earth. The Planetary Geosciences major was then announced, and Olivia knew this was a perfect combination of her interests.

Olivia’s favorite class was PTYS 214: Life in the Cosmos with Dr. Dante Lauretta. She took this in Fall 2023, which coincided with the OSIRIS-REx mission’s sample return to Earth. Getting to learn about the history of the mission, then watching Dr. Lauretta travel to Utah to retrieve the capsule, and then take a first look at the returned material at Johnson Space Center before returning to teach again, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and piqued her interest in sample analysis.

Olivia has just finished her Honors Thesis with Dr. Jessica Barnes entitled, “Expanding the Petrologic and Geochemical Record of Luna 16 and 24 Mare Basalt Fragments.” In this project, she used instruments at Kuiper-Arizona Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis (K-ALFAA), including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis to produce an overview of the textures and mineralogies of Luna fragments. She credits LPL with providing her the courses and research needed to prepare for this opportunity.

After graduating, Olivia with be attending Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, for a Ph.D. opportunity with Dr. Nick Timms called “Unlocking Solar System Secrets from Asteroid Sample Return Missions.” Her focus will be on analyzing returned samples of asteroids including Bennu, Ryugu, and Itokawa.

When she is not working on schoolwork or research, Olivia really enjoys creating art. She pursues many types of art, including ceramics, photography, and using the machines at the Main Library’s CATalyst Studios to make odd trinkets. She also likes exploring Tucson‘s food, shopping, and outdoor scene with her friends.