Openings for Undergraduate Research on Rare Earth Elements
We are seeking undergraduate students for three research opportunities in rare earth elements (REE) focused on La-Ce-Nd bastnäsite.
Project 1: A student will work with Dr. Alex Gysi to carry out calorimetry experiments with the goal of determining heat capacities and mixing enthalpies for bastnäsite.
Project 2: A student will work with Dr. Sarah Smith-Schmitz using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to characterize the bastnäsite.
Project 3: A student will work with Dr. Laura Waters to characterize the bastnäsite using scanning electron microprobe (SEM) imaging and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA).
As part of the projects, students will attend the NMT Student Research Symposium held in April 2026, where they will present posters showcasing their research.
The research positions are part-time,10 hours/week at $21/hour, for the spring semester starting January 20th, 2026.
Candidates with a background in geology, chemistry, chemical engineering, or materials engineering are encouraged to apply. Must be an undergraduate student in good standing at New Mexico Tech.
For more information, please contact Dr. Gysi (alexander.gysi@nmt.edu), Dr. Smith-Schmitz (sarah.smith@nmt.edu), or Dr. Waters (laura.waters@nmt.edu).
Application details are available on the New Mexico Tech (NMT) jobs page.