Aleks Gawronska
Postdoctoral Researcher
Current Affiliations:
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
via CRESST II cooperative agreement
Email:
A Bit About Me
I am an igneous petrologist interested in global impacts of volcano-magmatic processes on extraterrestrial bodies, from the emplacement of basaltic crusts to the generation of transient volcanic atmospheres. I am focused on holistically understanding this on the Moon primarily through microanalytical investigations of returned lunar samples.
Because my work uses returned extraterrestrial samples, I am also invested in maximizing the future success of lunar exploration. I do this by investigating future lunar landing sites using remote observations, and studying the lunar surface volatile budget by supporting the science teams of NASA instruments like PITMS and MSolo.
Based on this, I was selected as an Artemis Participating Scientist to join the First Artemis Geology Team and support return of new lunar samples via Artemis IV and Artemis V.
Bonus fun facts: I'm an immigrant - I was born in Kraków, Poland, and grew up in Gdańsk, Poland before moving to the Chicago area when I was 10. I have two dogs I'm obsessed with, and a ton of plants that probably need watering as we speak. In my free time I like to rock climb (like all geology nerds), draw, and play video games 🐕🌱
Experience
June 2023 - Present
NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center
August 2018 - May 2023
Miami University
Postdoctoral researcher: I am employed by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to support NASA Goddard activities in lunar science and exploration. I first joined PITMS and MSolo instrument science teams, and later joined the Artemis Geology Team to support lunar exploration. Simultaneously, I investigate magmatic processes and volatile budgets of returned Apollo samples, and several meteorites.
Graduate assistant: I studied how magmas on the Moon evolved at depth to produce the lava flows that were ultimately emplaced on the surface and picked up by Apollo astronauts. Through this, I was able to learn more about how extraterrestrial igneous processes operate across the Solar System.
August 2014 - May 2018
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate assistant: As an undergrad, I learned about lunar igneous petrology and studied how lavas cool on planetary surfaces to better understand how they were delivered from depth via magmatism.
