Cirruculum Vitae

LATISHA A. BRENGMAN, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

sedimentary geochemistry; alteration processes; field geology, geochemistry, geobiology

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. University of Minnesota Duluth

1114 Kirby Drive, 229 Heller Hall, Duluth, MN 55812

email: lbrengma@d.umn.edu / website: www.latishabrengman.com / phone: (218) 726-7586

Note: CV after Education and Professional Experience sections only includes information since appointment at the University of Minnesota Duluth beginning August 2015 unless noted with a “^” symbol.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Field experience working in early Earth terranes and Planetary analog hot spring systems
• Lab experience working with multiple instruments, focusing on high-spatial resolution data
• Expertise in early Earth depositional systems and biogeochemical signature preservation
• Leadership experience and extensive participation in outreach and community groups

EDUCATION

Ph.D. University of Tennessee, Knoxville; major field: Earth and Planetary Sciences; Advisor: Dr. C. M. Fedo; Dissertation: Geochemical and isotopic characteristics of Precambrian primary and secondary chert. Degree conferred 8 May 2015.

B.A. Northwestern University; major field: Geology, with honors; Advisor Dr. M. T. Hurtgen; Honors Senior Thesis: The sulfur isotope composition of 800 Ma Neoproterozoic seawater as recorded in the Bitter Springs Formation, Australia; Degree conferred 15 June 2009.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN (August 2022 – present).

Affiliate Senior Member, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (November 2020 – present).

Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN (August 2015 – July 2022).

Research Associate, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey; Collaborator: E. Stewart; Projects: Preliminary textural and geochemical characterization of the <1.71 Ga Freedom Formation, Baraboo, WI; and bedrock mapping of the Baraboo quartzite, Seeley Slate, and Freedom Formation (2019 – present).

Internship, Exxon Mobil Research Company, Houston, TX, Non-conventional reservoir group. Collaborator, Mentor: W. Heins. Project: Predicting the character and grain size distribution of material produced during chemical weathering of a known provenance. (May – August 2015).

Lecturer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Course: Introduction to Environmental Geology (Summer Semester 2014).

Research Associate and Teaching Assistant, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2010 – 2015).

SELECT NOTABLE AWARDS

• Young Teacher Award, SCSE. University of Minnesota Duluth, 2019
• ^Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Professional Promise, University of Tennessee, 2014

ANALYTICAL EXPERTISE

My research focuses on understanding early Earth depositional and post-depositional processes. Our projects aim to reconstruct evolving seawater chemistry in deep time, with a focus on the nascent silica cycle, and preservation of geochemical signatures. To accomplish this goal my lab group combines traditional and non-traditional sedimentological and geochemical tools that span from the field to micron-scale sample analysis. Analytical methods include the following:

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). Primary measurements: silicon and oxygen isotopes. Visiting Research Associate, Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; Collaborator: Dr. M. J. Whitehouse; Project: High-resolution, in-situ silicon isotope analysis of silicified volcanic rocks and Archean banded iron formation via Secondary Isotope Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). (2013 – present).

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Primary measurements: mineral imaging and chemical compositions. Visiting Research Associate, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Collaborators: Dr. J. Fournelle, Dr. A. Moy; Project: Preliminary textural and geochemical characterization of silicate and carbonate phases the <1.71 Ga Freedom Formation, Baraboo, WI. (2017 – present).

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Primary measurements: dual collection of silicon and oxygen isotopes on the same sample. Visiting Research Associate, Western University, Stable Isotope Geochemistry Lab, London, Ontario; Collaborator: Dr. N. R. Banerjee; Project: Bulk silicon isotope analysis of silicified volcanic rocks and Archean banded iron formation via Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS).(2013 – present).

Portable x-ray fluorescence instrumentation (pXRF). Primary measurements: powdered rock, soil and sediment, outcrop, drill core, field analysis of hydrothermal fluids. Precambrian Processes Lab at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Projects: (1) Field and laboratory analysis of drill core, outcrop, and hydrothermal features; (2) Calibration development (2020 – present).

PRIMARY FIELD STUDIES

To quantify broad changes in textural and geochemical data from Precambrian sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary assemblages, my lab focuses on field work localities that span a billion year in age. We also study modern hydrothermal systems as geochemical analogs of early Earth systems to better identify the preservation pathways for geochemical and biological signatures.

~2.7 Ga Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada. (2011 – present). Collaborators: Dr. Pierre Bousquet (Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, Ontario, Canada), Dr. Philip Fralick (Lakehead University, Canada), Dr. Neil Banerjee (Western University, Canada), Dr. Martin Whitehouse (Swedish Natural History Museum, Stockholm, Sweden), Dr. Christopher Fedo (University of Tennessee), Students: Paul Bielski (Graduate student, Lakehead University, 2020), Dani Stolze (Undergraduate, UMD, 2021).

~2.7 Ga Vermilion District, northern Minnesota, United States (2017 – present). Collaborators: Dr. Vicki Hansen (UMD), Dr. John Goodge (UMD), Students: Ann Marie Prue (Graduate student: 2020 – 2022), Katie Linderholm (Undergraduate, UMD 2021), Elizabeth Boor (Undergraduate, UMD, 2020), Logan Carpenter (Undergraduate, UMD, 2020), Heidi Krauss (Undergraduate, UMD, 2020), Emily Wojtowicz (Undergraduate, UMD, 2020), Dani Stolze (Undergraduate, UMD, 2021), Paul Bielski (Graduate student, Lakehead University, 2020), Mady David (undergraduate, 2019). Special Permits No. 201988 (2019), 202023 (2020), 202023 (2021), 2022019 (2022) awarded to L. A. Brengman.

~1.9 Ga Animikie Basin, northern Minnesota, United States (2016 – present). Collaborators: Dr. Athena Eyster (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Dr. Jena Johnson (University of Michigan), Students: Samuel Duncanson, (Graduate student, UMD, 2018-2020), Kendall Johnson (Undergraduate, UMD, 2019), Anthony Wetzel (Undergraduate, UMD, 2018), Stephen Hanson (Undergraduate, UMD, 2017).

<1.71 Ga Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States (2017 – present). Collaborator: Esther Stewart (Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey). Students: George Segee-Wright (Undergraduate, Hamilton College), Joe Rasmussen (Undergraduate, University of Wisconsin – Madison).

~1.1 Ga Mid-continent rift sedimentary rocks, North shore, Minnesota (2022 – present).

Modern, Yellowstone National Park (2018 – present). Collaborators: Dr. Jeff Havig (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities), Dr. Trinity Hamilton (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities). Field seasons to date include summer 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022.

PENDING SUPPORT

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM – STATEMAP ELEMENT, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, “Mapping and Geologic Data of Priority Areas in Wisconsin”, Years 1 – 2 (Projects 1 and 2; “Project 1: Subsurface mapping of the Oronto Group in the Ashland Syncline, northern Wisconsin”; “Project 2: Geology of the Baraboo Hills area, Sauk and Columbia counties, WI”). PI: =Esther Stewart (Sub-projects 1, 2 PI, WGNHS, Co-I Latisha Brengman). Proposed timeframe June 2022 – May 2024. Amount requested to UMD: $13,606.

PREVIOUS SUPPORT

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROGRAM – STATEMAP ELEMENT, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, “Mapping and Geologic Data of Priority Areas in Wisconsin: Subsurface mapping of the Oronto Group in the Ashland Syncline, northern Wisconsin”, Year 1 (Project 5). PI: Eric Carson (full proposal PI; Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey – WGNHS); Esther Stewart (Sub-project 5 PI, WGNHS, Co-I Latisha Brengman). Awarded: June 2021 (Amended to August 2021) – May 2022 (Amended to August 2022). Amount to UMD: $6,757.

GRANT-IN-AID OF RESEARCH, ARTISTRY, AND SCHOLARSHIP, “Application of a newly developed silicon isotope proxy to sulfide mineral deposit exploration”. PI: Latisha Brengman. University of Minnesota, Office of the Vice President for Research. Awarded, July 2018 – June 30, 2022. Amount Awarded: $27,107.

CHANCELLOR’S SMALL GRANT, “Involving UMD students from across campus to update the museum-quality display cases in Heller Hall and connect to a modern audience.” PI: Latisha Brengman. University of Minnesota. Awarded, May 8, 2020 – August 31, 2022. Amount awarded: $2,999.40.

GRANT-IN-AID OF RESEARCH, ARTISTRY, & SCHOLARSHIP, Shared instrument category, “Acquisition of a hand-held x-ray fluorescence instrument.” PI: Latisha A. Brengman Co-I: John Swenson. University of Minnesota, Office of the Vice President for Research. Awarded, November 2019, Dates active: January 2020 – June 2021. $35,496. Matching funds (50%) were secured separately through a Collegiate Fee proposal.

COLLEGIATE FEE PROPOSAL, “Acquisition of a hand-held x-ray fluorescence instrument for integrated teaching and research in the Earth and Environmental Sciences at UMD.” PI: Latisha Brengman, Co-I: John Swenson. University of Minnesota Duluth. Awarded, July 2019 – June 2020. $29,042.

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, “Reinvestment and Upgrade of the UM Duluth Stable Isotope Analytical Facility”. University of Minnesota, Office of the Vice President for Research. PI: Schreiner, K., Co-I: Latisha Brengman, Steinman, B.A. (Co-I), Dymond, S.F. (Co-I). Funded: July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019. $184,788.

WISCONSIN DNR, JOINT SOLICITATION FOR GROUNDWATER RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROPOSALS, “Defining the base of the Cambrian aquifer through geophysical modeling of Precambrian topography, Columbia, County, WI”.  PI: Esther Stewart, Collaborator/ Consultant: Latisha Brengman. Funded:  July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. $30,747.

GRANT-IN-AID OF RESEARCH, ARTISTRY, & SCHOLARSHIP, Shared instrument category,“Acquisition of a new EDXRF system”. University of Minnesota, Office of the Vice President for Research. PI: Fortini, O. with several others. Primary instrument user/ Collaborator: L.A. Brengman. Funded: January 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018. $87,761.40.

PUBLICATIONS (since appointment at UMD in 2015) *student authors. Note: Several additional manuscripts are in preparation for submission, only published or in review manuscripts are listed here.

In review

Duncanson, S*. Brengman, L.A., Johnson, J., Eyster, A., Fournelle, J., Moy A. (in review). Reconstructing diagenetic mineral reactions from silicified horizons of the Paleoproterozoic Biwabik Iron Formation, Minnesota. Submitted to American Mineralologist.

Published

Eyster, A., Brengman, L.A., Nichols, C., *Levitt, Z., *Wilcots, J., & Bergmann, K., (2021). A new depositional framework for massive iron formations after the Great Oxidation Event. Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Geosystems (G³). 22, e2020GC009113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009113  

Brengman, L. A., Fedo, C. M., Whitehouse, M., Banerjee, N., & Jabeen, I., (2021). “Evaluating the geochemistry and paired silicon and oxygen isotope record of quartz in siliceous rocks from the ~3 Ga Buhwa Greenstone Belt, Zimbabwe, a critical link to deciphering the Mesoarchean silica cycle”. Invited research article, Chemical Geology, 577, 120300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120300

Stewart, E.K., Brengman, L.A. and Stewart, E.D., (2021). “Revised Provenance, Depositional Environment, and Maximum Depositional Age for the Baraboo (< ca. 1714 Ma) and Dake (< ca. 1630 Ma) Quartzites, Baraboo Hills, Wisconsin.” The Journal of Geology, 129(1), pp.1-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/713687

Brengman, L.A., Fedo, C. M., Whitehouse, M. J., Banerjee, N. R., & Jabeen, I. (2020). “Textural, geochemical, and isotopic data from silicified rocks and associated chemical sedimentary rocks in the ~ 2.7 Ga Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada: Insight into the role of silicification.” Precambrian Research, Volume 351, December 2020, 105946. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105946

Brengman, L. A., & Fedo, C. M. (2018). “Development of a mixed seawater-hydrothermal fluid geochemical signature during alteration of volcanic rocks in the Archean (∼2.7 Ga) Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 227, 227-245. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.02.019

Brengman, L.A., Fedo, C. M., & Whitehouse, M. J. (2016). Micro‐scale silicon isotope heterogeneity observed in hydrothermal quartz precipitates from the >3.7 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt, SW Greenland. Terra Nova, 28.1, 70-75. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/ter.12192

Published reports

Stewart, E. K., *Rasmussen, J., Skalbeck, J., Brengman, L. A., & Gotkowitz, M. (2018). Mapping the base of the Cambrian aquifer through geophysical modeling of Precambrian topography, southern Wisconsin. Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey Project Completion Report, 15 p.

Brengman L. A., Heins W.A., & Matthews J.A. (2016). Dissolution and Transformation of Provenance Lithotypes during Initial Sediment Generation with Application to Play-Element Prediction. ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company Research Application Report URC.2016.046, 136 p.

COURSES TAUGHT while at the University of Minnesota Duluth, (August 2015 – present)

Active lecture and lab courses

• Sedimentology and Stratigraphy EES 3420 Lecture (Instructor, 2020 – present) Upper core course. Fall 2020, Center for Educational Innovation “Thank a teacher” certificate awardee.
• Sedimentology and Stratigraphy EES 3420 Labs (Instructor, 2020 – present). 1 section.
• Earth History EES 2110 Lecture (Instructor, 2016 – 2022) Undergraduate core course. Spring 2020, Center for Educational Innovation “Thank a teacher” certificate awardee.
• Earth History EES 2110 Labs (Instructor, 2016 – 2022) 4 sections.
• Geochemistry EES 4710/5711 (Instructor, 2016 – present)Upper division undergraduate/graduate level, with combined lecture and lab. (In 2016 and 2017 the course was taught as “Introduction to Geochemical Concepts”)

Field courses

• Geologic Field Methods EES 3540 (Instructor, Spring 2022) Upper division elective undergraduate field-based course.

Active lecture courses

• Data Analysis and Visualization for Earth Sciences EES 4720/5721 (forthcoming 2023)
• Geobiology EES 5095/4095 (Instructor, 2018, designed, created, and co-taught with Dr. Cody Sheik) Upper division undergraduate/graduate level course.
• Geobiology EES 5095/4095 (Instructor, 2021 re-designed and co-taught with Dr. Wendy Todd) Upper division undergraduate/graduate level course.

Seminar-style independent and small-group study courses

• Geologic Problems EES 4091: (Instructor, 2022) Mineral replacement processes, seminar-style upper division undergraduate course with geochemical instrument use.
• Geologic Problems EES 4091/5091: (Instructor, 2020) Interpreting Precambrian Depositional systems, seminar-style upper division undergraduate and graduate course.
• Geologic Problems EES 5091: (Instructor, 2018 and 2020) Chemical sedimentation in the Precambrian, seminar-style graduate course.
• Geologic Problems EES 5091: (Instructor, 2017) Silicification in Archean volcano-sedimentary assemblages, seminar-style graduate course.

INVITED TALKS

1. Brengman, L.A., “What can diagenetic reactions tell us about Precambrian seawater?” Invited research seminar, Iowa State University, (Feb. 22^nd, 2022).
2. Brengman, L.A., “The role of authigenic silica in chert and iron formation containing assemblages” Invited research seminar, Queens University (May 27^th, 2021).
3. Brengman, L.A., “How ancient iron-rich rocks tell the story of past oceans” Minnesota Mineral Club. Public virtual lecture (March 13, 2021). YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJK87-quZYY&t=501s
4. Brengman, L.A., “How ancient iron-rich rocks tell the story of Minnesota’s oceans”. Geological Society of Minnesota.Public virtual lecture (September 21, 2020). YouTube link:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y3NHiN9zfE.
5. Brengman, L. A., “Evaluating textural and geochemical evidence in Precambrian sedimentary rocks: implications for preservation potential and depositional setting,” Soft Rock seminar, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 28, 2019).
6. Stewart, E., Brengman, L.A. (Co-authors & Co-presenters), “Reading the deep time sedimentary record – Using historic mine records and outcrop to understand the history of ancient rivers, oceans, and faulting in Wisconsin,” Department Seminar, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota (February 7, 2019).
7. Brengman, L. A., Sedimentary geology, hydrogeology, and geomorphology seminar, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota (December 5, 2017).
8. Brengman, L. A., “How can iron formations inform us about the ancient ocean,” Swenson College of Science and Engineering Faculty Colloquium, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota (November 27, 2017).
9. Brengman, L. A., “Decoding the Precambrian silica cycle using silicon isotopes of quartz in chert and iron formation,” Department Seminar, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa (February 24, 2017).
10. Brengman, L.A., “Textural and isotopic evidence for early silica cementation in ~1.9 Ga Granular Iron Formation” Seminar, Mesabi Range Geological Society, Duluth, Minnesota (January 18, 2017).
11. Brengman, L. A., “Seafloor silicification as a genetic mechanism for some iron formation influenced by hydrothermal fluids,” Soft Rock seminar, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 21, 2016).
12. Brengman, L. A., “Decoding the Precambrian silica cycle using silicon isotopes of quartz from chert and iron formation,” Department Seminar, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 20, 2016).
13. Brengman, L.A., “The growth of continents, the rise of oxygen, and the birth of the biosphere – what one extinct rock can tell us about early Earth.” Seminar, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota (December 3, 2015).
14. Brengman, L.A., “Do silicon isotopes of quartz in chert and iron formation reveal information about critical events in early Earth history?” Large Lakes Observatory seminar, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota (October 2, 2015).

ABSTRACTS *graduate student authors, **undergraduate student authors

1. Eyster, A., Brengman, L. A., Ramezani, J., George, S., Bergmann, K., (2021). The first high resolution CA-ID-TIMS constraints on post-GOE Iron formation deposition. Geological Society of America, Portland Oregon (GSA).
2. *Prue, A.M, Brengman, L.A., (2021). Preliminary custom iron formation calibration for a portable x-ray fluorescence instrument using the Neoarchean Soudan iron formation, Minnesota, USA. Geological Society of America, Portland Oregon (upcoming).
3. *Prue, A.M, Brengman, L.A., (2021). Preliminary pXRF results from Precambrian rocks of northern Minnesota. Institute of Lake Superior Geology (ILSG).
4. Eyster, A., Brengman, L.A., Bergmann, K., (2020). Investigating the coupling between plume volcanism and massive iron formation deposition after the rise of oxygen. (Virtual presentation Fall AGU meeting, December 8^th, 2020).
5. *Duncanson, S.D., Brengman, L.A., Fournelle, J., Moy, A. (2020). Reconstructing Fe-silicate paragenesis using paired textural and compositional data in the ~1.9 Ga Biwabik Iron Formation, MN. North-Central Geological Society of America, May 18-19, 2020 (virtual presentation, COVID-19, https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2020NC/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/346106.
6. Eyster, A., Brengman, L.A., Nichols, C., **Levitt, Z., Bergmann, K.D.  (2020), The tectonic context for the Gogebic Range iron formations. North-Central Geological Society of America, May 18-19, 2020 (virtual presentation, COVID-19).
7. **Boor, E., **Carpenter, L., **Krauss, H., **Wojtowicz, E., Brengman, L.A., Goodge, J.W., Hansen, V.L. (2020), Origin of Neoarchean metasedimentary rocks near Pike Lake, Vermilion District, Northeast, Minnesota. North-Central Geological Society of America (presentation cancelled, COVID-19).
8. Brengman, L.A., Stewart, E.K., **Stolze, D., **Faust, E., Wittkop, C. (2020), The role of silica in iron formations: textural, mineralogical, and geochemical comparisons from low metamorphic grade Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic examples. North-Central Geological Society of America (presentation cancelled, COVID-19).
9. Brengman, L.A., Stewart, E. (2019), Textural and mineralogical characteristics of the <1710 Ma Freedom Formation compared to well-characterized, low-metamorphic grade Archean and Paleoproterozoic iron formations. PP51E-1406, American Geophysical Union.
10. Brengman, L.A., *Duncanson S.P., **Hanson, S., **Wetzel, A (2019). Crossing the redoxcline: an investigation into geochemical changes that directly link to textural transitions in the ~1.9 Ga Biwabik Iron Formation, MN. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 51, No. 5. doi: 10.1130/abs/2019AM-339533.
11. *Duncanson, S.P., Brengman, L.A., Fournelle, J.H., Moy, A (2019). Deciphering primary and diagenetic controls on mineralogy in the ~1.9 Ga Biwabik Iron Formation, MN using paired textural and geochemical analyses. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 51, No. 5. doi: 10.1130/abs/2019AM-339482.
12. Brengman, L. A., & Fedo, C (2018). Replacement minerals formed during alteration of volcanic rocks in the ~2.7 Ga Abitibi Greenstone Belt carry rare-earth element attributes of mixed hydrothermal fluids and seawater. American Geophysical Union Abstracts.
13. Brengman, L.A., Stewart, E., Stewart, E., Moy, A., Fournelle, J., & **Segee-Wright, G. (2018) Reviving historical data >100 years later: a fresh look at the depositional setting and petrogenesis of the <1.71 Ga Freedom Formation, Baraboo, Wi. Geological Society of America Abstracts.
14. Brengman, L.A., **Johnson, K., & Trower, L. (2018). Grain size distributions and mineralogy of coated grains, detrital sand and silt within the ∼1.9 ga Mesabi Iron Range, Minnesota. Geological Society of America Abstracts.
15. Fedo, C., & Brengman, L.A. (2018) Geochemistry of multiple carbonate units from the ~3.7 ga isua greenstone belt, sw greenland. Geological Society of America Abstracts.
16. *Drazan, J., Brengman, L.A, & Fedo, C (2018). Preliminary petrographic and geochemical investigation of silicified volcanic rocks and silica-rich exhalative rocks from the ~2.7 Ga Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada. Institute of Lake Superior Geology (ILSG).
17. Stewart, E., Skalbeck, J., **Rasmussen, J., Gotkowitz, M., Brengman, L.A., **Segee-Wright, (2017) G. Developing a geologic framework for aquifer geometry through modeling of gravity and aeromagnetic data.  (American Water Resources Association, Wisconsin Section Annual Meeting, Appleton, WI)
18. Brengman, L. A., Fedo, C.M., Whitehouse, M.J. (2016), American Geophysical Union, “Textural and isotopic evidence for silica cementation in ~1.88 Ga Granular Iron Formation,” San Francisco, California, United States.
19. Brengman, L. A., Larson, P., **Hanson, S. (2016), Geological Society of America, “A textural and mineralogical investigation of early diagenetic reactions in the ~1.88 Ga Biwabik iron formation, MN,” Denver, Colorado, United States. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs. v. 48, n. 7.
20. Brengman, L.A., Fedo, C. M., Whitehouse, M. J. (2015) Micro-scale silicon isotope heterogeneity observed in hydrothermal quartz precipitates from the >3.7 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt, SW Greenland. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, v. 47, n. 7, p.786.

MEDIA APPEARANCES

University of Minnesota Duluth, Swenson College of Science and Engineering, Resolving the rock paradox (online news article), April 11, 2018.

Lab group members (including two undergraduate researchers A. Wetzel and K. Johnson) were interviewed for our work on chemical sedimentary rocks from the Iron Range, which seeks to answer longstanding questions about the temperature and elemental compositions of earth’s early oceans.

Link: https://scse.d.umn.edu/earth-environmental-sciences-department/news/rock-paradox

Earth Magazine, American Geosciences Institute (AGI), “Going subterranean: repurposed mines become innovative labs”, February 2018.

For our Geobiology class, GEOL 5095 (Spring 2018), J. Knackert (journalist and science communicator) and K. Cantner (AGI science illustrator) came with our class to the Soudan Underground mine. While there, we collected samples from the unique pools and rocks associated with lower mine levels for microbiological and geochemical characterization by the undergraduate / graduate students in the Geobiology course. That trip forms a large part of the cover article for the November 2018 Earth Magazine issue “Old Mines, New Labs”.

Link: https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/going-subterranean-repurposed-mines-become-innovative-labs

SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS ORGANIZED

Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, 2019, Phoenix, Arizona. Session organizer and chair with Dr. Athena Eyster (MIT) and Dr. Geoff Gilleaudeau (George Mason University). Iron Formations, Ferruginous Sediments, and Redox through Time and Space. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 51, No. 5

Talks: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2019AM/webprogram/Session47906.html

Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, 2018, Indianapolis, Indiana. Session organizer and chair with Dr. Geoff Gilleaudeau (George Mason University). Evolving perspectives of the Precambrian world: using combined theoretical and applied approaches to tackle problems at the intersection of geology, geobiology, and geochemistry.

Poster presentations:  https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018AM/webprogram/Session46475.html

Talks: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2018AM/meetingapp.cgi/Session/45551

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Proposal Reviewer (2016 – present)

• Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Reviewed proposals for travel grants
• Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Reviewed proposals for Research Presentations
• Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS), national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada, Reviewed research and project proposals
• American Chemical Society, Petroleum Research Fund, Reviewed research proposals

Proposal Review Panelist (2016 – present)

• NASA

Journal Manuscript Reviewer (2015 – present)

Geology, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Sedimentology, Chemical Geology, American Mineralogist, Precambrian Research, Communications Earth and Environment, Terra Nova, Minerals

Professional Affiliations

• American Geophysical Union
• Geological Society of America

External thesis reviewer

• Paul Bielski (M.Sc. candidate, Lakehead University, Advisor: Dr. Phil Fralick)
• Gabriel Sindol (M.Sc. candidate, Memorial University, Advisor: Dr. Michael Babechuck)

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE MENTEES

Graduate students supervised

• Farhan Ahmed Bhuiyan, M.S. student (2022 – present, primary advisor). Project: “Building a robust updated stratigraphic model for the Biwabik iron formation, MN.”
• Ann Marie Prue, M.S. student (2020 – 2022, primary advisor). Defended thesis June 2022. Thesis title: “Creating a custom calibration for a portable X-ray Fluorescence instrument using the Biwabik iron formation, Minnesota”.
• Sam Duncanson, M.S. student (2018 – 2020, primary advisor). Graduated December 2020. Thesis title: “Identification of primary and diagenetic mineralogy preserved in silica-cemented horizons of the Biwabik Iron Formation, Minnesota, using petrography and electron microprobe analysis.” University Digital Conservancy link: https://hdl.handle.net/11299/218662.

Undergraduate students supervised (research projects and UROPs)

• Dominick Turoski, Geological Sciences, B.S., (Fall, 2022). UROP Project: “Applications of pXRF Element Mapping in the Field”
• Rae Houghton, Environmental Sciences, B.S., (Fall 2022). Honors thesis capstone.
• Katie Linderholm, Environmental Sciences, B.S., (Spring, 2022). UROP Project: “Comparative textural and geochemical analysis of siliceous sinter from Yellowstone National Park to stromatolites of the ~1.9 Ga Biwabik Iron formation, Minnesota.”
• Kylie Rackouski, Chemistry and Geological Sciences, B.S., (2022)
• Emily Bakken, Environmental Sciences, B.S., (2022)
• Peter Book, Geological Sciences, B.S., (2022)
• Cora-Rose Michel, Environmental Sciences, B.S., (2022)
• Abigail Smith, Marketing major, (2022 – present).
• Rayann Rehwinkel, Chemistry and Geological Sciences, B.S., (Spring, 2022).
• Katie Linderholm, Environmental Sciences, B.S., (2021 – present).
• Elizabeth Boor, Geological Sciences, B.S., (2019 – 2020).
• Heidi Krauss, Geological Sciences, B.S., (2019 – 2020).
• Emily Wojtowicz, Geological Sciences, B.S., (2019 – 2021) Senior Honors Thesis project.
• Logan Carpenter, Geological Sciences, B.S., (2019 – 2020).
• Danielle Stolze, Geological Sciences, B.S. (2019 – present). Project: “Comparative mineralogy of the ~2.7 Ga Soudan Iron Formation, Minnesota and the Deloro Iron Formation, Timmins, ON, and the Temagami Iron Formation, Temagami, ON.” https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/213805
• Kendall Johnson, Geological Sciences B.S. (2017 – 2018). Project: “Grain size distributions and mineralogy of coated grains, detrital sand and silt within the ∼1.9 Ga Mesabi Iron Range, Minnesota” https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/213998
• Anthony Wetzel, Geological Sciences B.S. (2017 – 2018). Project: “Broadly constraining Proterozoic ocean pH by determining primary and secondary carbonate mineral reactions in iron formation from the ~1.9 Ga Mesabi Iron Range, MN”
• Stephen Hanson, Geological Sciences, B.S. (2016 – 2017). Project: “A textural and mineralogical investigation of early diagenetic reactions in the ~1.9 Ga Biwabik iron formation, MN”

Undergraduate summer Research Assistants

• Katie Linderholm, Environmental Sciences, B.S., (2021 – 2022).
• Logan Carpenter, Geological Sciences, B.S., (2019 – 2020).
• Danielle Stolze, Geological Sciences, B.S. (2019 – 2020).
• Mady David, Geological Sciences B.S. (2018 – 2019).
• Kendall Johnson, Geological Sciences B.S. (2017 – 2018).
• Anthony Wetzel, Geological Sciences B.S. (2017 – 2018).
• Stephen Hanson, Geological Sciences, B.S. (2016 – 2017).

Research employees

• George Segee-Wright, Hamilton College (Summer/Fall 2017).
• Kendall Johnson (Spring – Fall 2020).

Graduate student committees

• Jacob Daire, Civil Engineering, M.S. (2018 – 2019).
• Kristi Kotrapu, Geological Sciences, M.S. (2017 – 2018).
• Amber Roberts, Geological Sciences, M.S. (2016 – 2018; resumed 2022).
• Matthew Matko, Geological Sciences. M.S. (2017 – 2018).
• Margaret Upton, Geological Sciences, M.S. (2017 – 2018).

Undergraduate academic advisees (22 Geological Sciences and Environmental Sciences).

ACTIVE COLLABORATORS

• Esther Stewart, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
• Dr. Athena Eyster, Massachusetts Institute of Technology/ Johns Hopkins University
• Dr. Jena Johnson, University of Michigan
• Dr. Jeff Havig, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
• Dr. Trinity Hamilton, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
• Dr. John Fournelle, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Dr. Aurelian Moy, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Dr. Phil Fralick, Lakehead University
• Dr. Martin Whitehouse, Swedish Museum of Natural History
• Dr. Neil Banerjee, Western University (Ontario)
• Dr. Iffat Jabeen, Western University (Ontario)
• Dr. Christopher Fedo, University of Tennessee

PUBLIC OUTREACH

• Earth Science field trip organizer, UMD Summer Bridge Program (June 30^th, 2022).
• Darwin Day seminar coordinator, (February 2022).
• Participant, “Bridging the gap” invited speaker (Feb. 9^th, 2022).
• Chancellor’s small grant, “Involving UMD students from across campus to update the museum-quality display cases in Heller Hall and connect to a modern audience.” Awarded, (May 8, 2020). $2,999.40. Brengman, L. A. (PI). Project Goal: The goal of this project is to involve UMD students from Earth and Environmental Science, Art and Design, and Museum Studies in the re-design and renovation of the outdated museum-quality display cases on the first floor of Heller Hall. Purpose: By updating the Heller Hall display cases, we propose to bring the displays into the digital age and increase accessibly of the information for diverse audiences within our community. The students will directly improve their science communication skills in addition to increased exposure to connecting art, design, and science. Community Impact: With the renovation of the museum-quality display cases on the first floor of Heller Hall, we have the unique opportunity to increase public engagement with UMD by providing a free, accessible educational resource for students, and the public.
• Participant, Letters to a Pre-Scientist, Science Communication and Representation, (September 2019 – 2020).
• Community Ambassador for EarthArXiv (https://eartharxiv.org/; 2017 – present).
• Volunteer, Math Prep for STEM Careers summer course field trip outreach events. (2018, 2019). I participated in and formulated activities for the STEM incoming freshman camp.
• Coordinator, Middle school class visit and field trips. (2018, 2019). I helped facilitate, organize, and coordinate group field trips from led by graduate students.
• Volunteer at STARBASE, Hermantown, MN. (October 5, 2018). “STARBASE is a non-profit … educational program that provides free, hands-on, immersive curriculum in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to local 5^th graders.”
• Coordinator, organizer, member, and facilitator, Community Outreach for Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (November 2016 – 2018). I helped to develop outreach kits and activities for the UMD K-12 local outreach program to five Duluth area schools. The program initiated by Charity Rupp reached >500 students for 26 days out of the year (2-3 times a day, for a total of 156 student/ faculty volunteer slots for 52-78 events). With the help of the outreach office and graduate student Maggie Upton, we created 3 deployable outreach kits for 4th and 5th grade students. Each kit contains: (1) a formal lesson plan, complete with instructions and worksheets for both students and student volunteers / primary instructors, and (2) all materials necessary for the 45-minute, or 90-minute activities. At present, all activities align with Minnesota State Standards for “Rocks and Minerals I and II”, and “Landforms”, and we have built in the possibility for yearly extension or expansion packs to highlight novel regional and global research from our department.
• Department tour guide for Donors (periodic since 2015).
• Presenter, Graduate student breakfast “speed research” talk (October 21, 2015). “The growth of the continents, the rise of oxygen, and the birth of the biosphere – what one extinct rock can tell us about early Earth.”
• Science Day coordinator, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN; Helped to organize Science and Engineering Day activities for local K-12 students. (2015 – 2017).

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE to the University of Minnesota Duluth

• Chair, DEES Faculty Search Committee (April 2022 – present).
• Member, Dean’s Strategic Planning Committee (April 2022 – present)
• Member, ad hoc SCSE Higholt Endowed Chair committee (Spring, 2022).
• Member, Outreach committee (August 2021 – present).
• Member, Advanced Materials Center Steering Committee (January 2021 – present).
• Member, Overman Lecture organizing committee (Spring 2021).
• Member, Tech hire search committee (Spring 2021).
• Member, Term hire search committee, (Spring 2021).
• Member, Ad hoc merit subcommittee, (Spring, 2021).
• Member, SCSE ad hoc awards committee (Spring 2021).
• Faculty Advisor, Earth Science Club. (August 2019 – present).
• Coordinator, Fall Department seminar series coordinator (Fall 2020).
• Rock room training coordinator, (2019 – present).
• Department social media coordinator, (2019, Spring 2021 – Spring 2022).
• Member, Staff hire search committee (Fall 2019).
• Member, Lakehead University International opportunity exploration committee. (November 15, 2018 – November 16, 2018). I was a part of a 2-day international envoy to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The goal was to explore institutional collaborative potential between UMD and Lakehead University.
• Member, Search committee for new Faculty hire in Chemical Engineering. (Spring 2018).
• Member, Science and Engineering Day Committee, Swenson College of Science & Engineering (2016 – 2018).
• Member, SciArt Committee in Earth & Environmental Sciences. (August 2018 – Present). The SciArt (Science and Art) Committee is tasked with renovating the display cases, installing geologic, educational floor maps, and updating outward facing educational content displayed within Heller Hall.
• Member, Curriculum Committee for Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. (September 2016 – Present). The Curriculum Committee completely revised both majors and minors in the department (1: Geology, 2: Environmental Sciences) to allow all students in the program to begin a core sequence together to facilitate interdisciplinary learning and foster community within the program.
• Member, Lake Superior Youth Symposium planning committee. (June 2018 – October 2018).
• Reviewer, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at UMD (2015, 2017).

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE to the community

• Sedimentologika, Associate Editor, Community-driven Diamond Open Access (DOA) scientific journal about sedimentology, (Summer 2022 – present).
• Outstanding Student Presentation Award (OSPA) Poster Judge, American Geophysical Union. (December 2019).
• Women in Geology Career Pathways Program Mentor, Geological Society of America (GSA). (September 21 – 25, 2019).
• Resume Mentor, Geological Society of America (GSA). (September 21- 25, 2019).
• Outstanding Student Presentation Award (OSPA) Poster Judge, American Geophysical Union. (December 10, 2018 – December 14, 2018).
• Women in Geology Career Pathways Program Mentor, Geological Society of America (GSA). (November 4 – 6, 2018).
• Resume Mentor, Geological Society of America (GSA). (Nov.4 – 6, 2018).
• Student poster judge, Institute of Lake Superior Geology. (May 2018).

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & PEDAGOGICAL TRAININGS

• Leadership training, Excellence in Academic Leadership (EAL) program by the National Center for Principled Leadership & Research Ethics (NCPRE). (Fall 2022 – Spring 2023).
• Justice in Geoscience, AGU Chapman (Un)Conference (August 15 – 17, 2022).
• Workshop, “Promotion, tenure, and the value of diversity, equity and inclusion work” (May 26, 2022)
• Workshop, NNCI Nanoscience in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Community Virtual Workshop (May 16 – 18, 2022).
• Member, URGE (Unlearning Racism in the Geosciences) pod, UMD, (Spring 2021).
• Workshop, “Cultivating Leadership for Change and Justice: Progress and lessons learned after one year of anti-racism efforts in the geosciences,” (Virtual, Spring 2021).
• Discussion, “A conversation with Alice Wong, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural programs, UMN Morris, (Virtual, Spring 2021).
• Workshop, “A Call to Action, Geological Society of America”, (Virtual, Fal, 2020).
• Training, AT 118 “Beyond Content: Fostering Online Interaction”, UMTC, (Virtual, 2020).
• Training, CEI 318 “Motivating students with feedback”, UMTC, (Virtual, 2020).
• Discussion, CEI “Fall Science Field Experiences”. (Virtual, 2020).
• Discussion, CEI “Flexible Assignments and Assessments”, UMTC, (Virtual, 2020).
• Training, “Becoming an Active Bystander”, Northwestern University, (Virtual, 2020).
• Webinar, “The Mountains are calling and we can all go: Accessibility and Inclusivity in geosciences”, Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), (Virtual. 2020).
• Trainings, Bruker pXRF Tracer 5g, (2020). Trainings included a 2-day virtual training, and two, half day trainings on instrument safety, operation, and radiation safety. It also involved taking 2 UMD Radiation safety courses, and an instrument audit from the UMTC campus.
• EARTHRATES, All hands, 5-part virtual meeting, (December 2020 – January 2021).
• AGU Workshop, “Fostering Diverse Inclusive and Equitable Communities in Geoscience Field Experiences” (December 10, 2019)
• AGU Workshop, “Establishing and Sustaining an Undergraduate Research Program” (December 9, 2019)
• SERC workshop, “Inclusive and Effective College Science Classrooms: Engaging Students, Designing Lessons, and Integrating Diversity into Curriculum” (December 8, 2019)
• SCSE Teaching and reading cohort (weekly meetings, Spring 2019)
• Webinar: UCS, Beyond the trend of Decolonizing Science (April 15, 2019)
• Workshop, UMD SCSE Getting External Grants: A workshop for early career faculty researchers (October 2018)
• Workshop, Arizona State University, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (Jan 4-6, 2017)
• Early Career Workshop, SERC, College Park, Maryland (July 24-29, 2016)
• SCSE UMD Teaching workshop, Active learning (January 6-8, 2016)
• UMD Active Learning Workshop (October 2015)

SELECT NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS BEFORE AUGUST 2015 (PRE-UMD)

Graduate student honors and awards

• 2014, Graduate Student Association Travel Grant, University of Tennessee
• 2014, Summer Graduate Research Assistantship, University of Tennessee
• 2014, Interdisciplinary Research Award, University of Tennessee (EPS department)
• 2014, Gordon Award for Professional Promise, University of Tennessee, Geology Club.
• 2013, Sedimentary Geology Division of GSA, Student Research Award
• 2013, Geological Society of America Student Grant
• 2013, Graduate Student Association Travel Grant, University of Tennessee
• 2013, ExxonMobil Science Grant
• 2012, Soft Rock Research award, University of Tennessee (EPS department)
• 2012, Coffee Cup Award, highest graduate student GPA, University of Tennessee, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
• 2011, Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Tennessee (EPS department)
• 2011, Gene Tipton Graduate Student Award from the Knoxville Gem and Mineral Society.
• 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, Frank H. McClung Museum, Certificate of Appreciation in acknowledgement of volunteer service to the Museum, University of Tennessee

Teaching experience

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee (August 2010 – 2015)

• Lecturer (instructor of record): Introduction to Environmental Geology (GEOL 103), Summer Semester 2014
• Graduate Teaching Assistant (Laboratory Instructor): Introduction to Physical Geology (101 – undergraduate); Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (340 – undergraduate); Siliciclastic Petrogenesis (545 – graduate).
• Guest Lecturer: Introduction to Environmental Geology (103, for Professor Bill Deane), Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (340, for Professor Christopher Fedo)

Conference Abstracts and Presentations

• Brengman, L. A., Fedo, C. M., Whitehouse, M. J. (2014) From source to sink: silicon isotope composition of bedrock, detrital quartz arenites, and siliceous precipitates from the ~3 Ga Buhwa Greenstone Belt, Zimbabwe. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, v. 46, n. 6, p. 221.
• Fedo, C. M., Brengman, L. A., (2014) Revisiting the stratigraphic setting of the ~3 Ga Buhwa Greenstone Belt, Zimbabwe. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, v. 46, n. 6, p. 221.
• Prentice, A., Jabeen, I, Webb, E., Banerjee, N., Ali, A., Brengman, L.A., Fedo, C. (2014). Dual Si and O Measurements Using IRMS-BrF₅ Fluorination. Goldschmidt Conference, Sacramento, C.A., p. 1988.
• Brengman, L. A., Fedo, C. M., Whitehouse, M. J. (2013). Silicon isotope composition of Archean cherts from >3.7 Ga to 2.7 Ga determined by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Charlotte, N.C., v. 44, n. 7, p. 36.
• Brengman, L. A., Fedo, C.M. (2012). Origin of BIF-like jaspilite in the 2.72 Ga Hunter Mine Group, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Quebec by metasomatic replacement of felsic volcanic rocks. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, Annual Meeting, Charlotte, N.C., v. 45, n. 7, p. 627.

Outreach

• Darwin Day volunteer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Helped to organize Darwin Day events including workshops and seminars for middle and high school teachers focused on teaching evolution.  (2014 – 2015).
• McClung Museum volunteer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Led youth (K-8) tours through the campus museum geology exhibit. (2010 – 2015).
• Sedimentology “Soft Rock” Brown Bag coordinator, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Initiated and organized an informal, weekly, lunch-time speaker series promoting research discussion between professors, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates. (2011 – 2013).