Experiential Learning Opportunity Winners
2025
Winner: Sharini Suresh Babu
Supervisor: Catherine Neish
Project: Mini-RF Science Team Meeting 2025
From May 19th to 22nd 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the Mini-RF Science Team Meeting in Flagstaff, Arizona, as a Science Team Associate on the mission. Mini-RF is a radar instrument aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the annual in-person meetings bring together scientists and technical staff to share research and plan future mission activities. The meeting included two days of fieldwork and two days of presentations and discussions at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. In the field, we visited SP Crater and Meteor Crater—two exceptional planetary analogue sites that showcase volcanic and impact processes, respectively, similar to those observed on the Moon. Our team from Western University, including Catherine Neish, Sashank Vanga, Ashka Thaker, and myself, conducted surveys using our backpack LiDAR system. Notably, our fieldwork at Meteor Crater was featured in an NPR article.
The discussions at USGS focused on current Mini-RF operations, ongoing scientific analyses, and future collaboration opportunities within the team and with USGS researchers. As someone completing a master’s in Geology with a specialization in Planetary Science, this experience was incredibly valuable. It allowed me to engage directly with mission science, gain insight into operational planning, and contribute to active planetary analogue research. Working with a NASA mission team strengthened my interest in planetary missions, and this ELO award-supported trip was a valuable step in that direction.
Winner: Lauren McFarlane
Supervisor: Gordon Osinski
Project: Studying Impact Geology at the Brent Impact Crater
Through the Experiential Learning Opportunities Funding provided by the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University, I had the unique privilege to conduct field research at the Brent Impact Crater in northern Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. The idea behind this fieldwork was to improve the geographical context of our current research samples, which were drilled from inside the crater between 1955 and 1967. Throughout our thesis, we have had access to all Brent Crater drill cores which we have been studying as our primary sample collection. Although this drill core provides me with the opportunity to study hydrothermal alteration more in depth in a 3-dimensional model, the drill core did not provide an accurate comparison of the altered impact rock versus the country rock.
This fieldwork has significantly influenced the direction of my research by providing real-world context for my samples. The support from the Institute enabled me to collect meaningful data that will contribute directly to my thesis work and future publications and has strengthened my foundation for a career in planetary geology. On the whole, without being able to see the crater with my own eyes and explore the outcrops, my thesis work felt incomplete. The opportunity provided by Western Space helped me understand Brent crater on a deeper level and helped to bridge the gap between lab analysis and field-based studies. My journey as an MSc student in geology and planetary science would not have felt complete without fieldwork opportunities and I am grateful to the Western Space Experiential Learning Opportunities fund for making it possible. The trip was a huge success both academically and personally as I was able to make a deeper connection with my research and with my friends, Mackenzie Russell and Katie Kosche, who were able to join me on this trip. Thank you Western Space!
Winner: Mackenzie Russell
Supervisor: Gordon Osinski
Project: Studying Impact Geology at the Brent Impact Crater
Based on the funding provided by the Experiential Learning Opportunity, I, along with two other students, had the opportunity to do four days of field work at Brent crater, Ontario. My master’sresearch involves studying the impact melt and its changes throughout the drill cores from Brent crater. Since the cores are all stored near London, I’d never had an opportunity to visit the crater. With the funding from Western Space, I traversed parts of the crater while taking samples, which in turn gave me more experience with field mapping. My goal was to take samples from around the crater rim in hopes of finding some impact melt bearing rocks. While I was unsuccessful in finding new samples, I found that after my trip I had a new appreciation for Brent. I now better understand the context of my samples and the experience gave me a broader understanding of my research.
Winner: Ananya Srivastava
Supervisor: Gordon Osinski
Project: NASA Artemis 3 Geology Team Field Training, El Paso
My participation in NASA’s Artemis 3 Geology Team Field Training in El Paso was made possible by the Experiential Learning Opportunity Award, which played a crucial role in funding my trip. This support allowed me to engage in invaluable hands-on training at Kilbourne Hole, a volcanic maar crater, and study the complex geology of Mt. Cristo Rey, home to dinosaur footprints. Through this experience, I collaborated with scientists from premier institutions, strengthening my geological expertise and field skills. The award not only enabled my active participation in mission preparation but also provided me with a transformative learning experience that will shape my future in planetary exploration.
