Devin McQuaig - University of Houston
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Devin McQuaig

Summer 2018

My name is Devin McQuaig and I am a senior geology student with a focus on petrology and geochemistry. On campus, I work in Dr. Lapen’s geoscience lab that measures isotopes and trace elements. The lab utilizes a clean room for wet chemistry and also takes advantage of a mass spectrometer (LA-MC-ICP-MS). I am also President of the GeoSociety at UH and make sure that all students who are interested in geoscience have access to our guest speakers, tailgates, short courses, and meetups.

This summer, I am thankful to continue pursuing my dreams as an intern through the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) for NASA - Johnson Space Center. Everyone throughout LPI and NASA-JSC has been incredibly nice, supportive, and eager to share their knowledge.

My research project is to analyze meteorites known as basaltic eucrites understood to be from the crust of asteroid 4 Vesta. This is the second-largest asteroid in the asteroid belt and it experienced differentiation which created a core, mantle, and crust. My mentors and I are collaborating to work toward understanding the formations of the mafic crust through geochemical and petrographical methods.

After I graduate in 2019, I will work toward my Masters and Ph.D. with the wonderful mentors and support network that I’ve found at UH. Once I complete my Ph.D., I will apply with NASA to do my post-doctoral work on igneous rocks, meteorites, or other planetary bodies.