Microscopy and Microanalysis in Geological and Archaeological Sciences

Anette von der Handt

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota

Anette is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota where she runs the Electron Microprobe Laboratory. She received her M.Sc. in Geology from the University of Bonn and a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the Max-Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany. Her current research interests include developing microanalytical methods with a special focus on trace elements, ultra-light element (B, C, N, O) analysis, and low kV applications using soft X-ray emission spectroscopy.

Emily Chin

Emily is an assistant professor in the Geosciences Research Division of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.  She obtained her PhD in Earth Sciences from Rice University in 2013, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University (2014-2016).  Emily’s research focuses on igneous and metamorphic petrology of the Earth’s mantle and crust.  She uses a variety of electron beam techniques, including electron microprobe, SEM, and EBSD large area mapping, together with in situ analytical geochemistry to constrain the compositional and rheological properties of Earth materials.

Victoria C. Smith

Associate Professor, Head of Tephrochronology Group, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford

Victoria is a specialist in volcanology and the characterisation of volcanic ash layers to date and correlate sedimentary records (tephrochronology) in the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford. She completed her PhD in Geology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and moved to the University of Bristol for a 3-year postdoctoral research project in 2006. She joined the School of Archaeology in 2009 to head the tephrochronology research group and manage specialist laboratories to identify and chemically characterise volcanic ash layers. Dr Smith's current research focusses on building detailed records of the composition of explosive volcanism across the globe such that ash layers can be used for far-reaching chronology in both space and time. She is particularly interested in the frequency, size and impact of large eruptions, and is currently working on collaborative projects in Japan, Mexico and Italy.