Mara Karageozian completed her undergraduate degree in geological sciences at Wayne State University in 2017, where her reasearch on the rock properties of gneiss domes in Vermont and Massachusetts contributed to the work of Dr. Sarah Brownlee. Her skills in mineralogy and petrology brought her to ASU's SESE to work with meteorite samples under Dr. Tom Sharp. Her current research uses detailed microscopy to better understand impact-induced shock effects on meteorites and their effect on the 40Ar/39Ar isotopic system. She regularly uses UVLAMP 40Ar/39Ar dating, electron microscopy, and detailed petrography as scientific techniques to study highly shocked meteorites. With Dr. Christy Till and the use of stellar composition data, she also investigates what the likely primitive mineralogy and petrology of an earth-like exoplanets. Lastly, she has developed a participatory Technology Assesment-style civic engagement program for use in NASA's decadal survey processes.
Mara is a Michigander at heart, but as an avid gardener she like the warm weather for her plants. She likes to stay involved in science policy and social equity when her research is not on her mind, and she is passionate about making the sphere of academia a more equitable and inclusive space. She spends her free time reading, cooking for her friends and family, and hiking whenever it's cool enough for a northern soul.