Sarah Vierling
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Mail code: 6004Campus: Tempe
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Student Information
Graduate StudentGeological Sciences
The College of Lib Arts & Sci
Sarah Vierling is a Ph.D. candidate in the Geological Sciences at Arizona State
University. Her research focuses on the formation of the organic building blocks of life, using
meteorites and asteroid samples returned by the Hayabusa2 mission. She uses various
laboratory techniques to trace how fluids interact with rocks that form clay minerals, which
influence organic production. In addition to clay minerals, she applies similar chemistry methods to presolar grains and fossil meteorites.
Beyond research, Sarah is passionate about mentorship and outreach. She encourages students from middle-school to graduate level across the country through pen-pal letters and one-on-one mentorship. Sarah is also a co-leader of the SESE Prison Education Program, which designs curricula and teaches youth currently detained in the Lewis Corrections Department, Sunrise Unit. These classes help open doors to education and employment opportunities in the future.
B.A. in Geology and Astronomy, Amherst College
Cosmochemistry, isotope geochemistry, meteorites, clays, and presolar grains
Center for Isotope Analysis