Megan Householder
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Physical Sciences Center B Wing PSB 248A Box 871604 Tempe, AZ 85287
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Mail code: 1604Campus: Tempe
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Megan got her B.Sc. in Physics and her Master's in Nanoscience, and completed her Astrophysics PhD in December 2025. She is a member of The Navrotsky Eyring Center for the Materials of the Universe (MotU), part of ASU's Advanced Materials Initiative, and the Navrotsky Laboratory Group. Her research interests include physical properties of nanoparticles in exoplanet atmospheres, with an emphasis on the need for more experimental work in the field of cosmochemistry.
PhD, Astrophysics - December 2025
Concentration: Cosmochemistry, Laboratory Astrophysics, Exoplanet Atmospheres, Atmospheric Thermodynamics, Nucleation, Cloud Condensates, Surface Energy, Nanoparticle Synthesis
Advisors: Professor James R. Lyons and Professor Alexandra Navrotsky
- Dissertation: “From Nanosurfaces to Alien Skies: Measuring Nanoparticle Surface Energies to Determine Condensation and Nucleation Rates in Exoplanet Atmospheres”
Nanoscience, Master of Professional Science - December 2019
Concentration: Nanomaterials & Nanoscale Devices
Advisor: Professor Terry Alford
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Thesis: “Effect of Excess Lead in the Precursor Solution on the Morphology of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Crystals”
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Physics, Bachelor of Science - December 2017
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Barrett, the Honors College
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Navrotsky, A, Householder, M. New worlds, new chemistry, new ceramics. International Journal of Ceramic Engineering and Science. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/ces2.10104
Subramani, T., Lilova, K., Householder, M., Yang, S., Lyons, J., Navrotsky, A. Surface energetics of wurtzite and sphalerite polymorphs of zinc sulfide and implications for their formation in nature. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2022.11.003.
Householder, M., Subramani T., Lilova, K., Lyons J. R., Stroud, R. M., and Navrotsky, A. Calorimetric Measurement of the Surface Energy of Enstatite, MgSiO3. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c04211.
Chen, J.; Subramani, T.; Mekan, D.; Gendler, D.; Yang, R.; Kumar, M.; Householder, M.; Ortiz, A. R.; Hernandez-pagan, E. A.; Lilova, K.; Wexler, R. B. Equilibrium Thermochemistry and Crystallographic Morphology of Manganese Sulfide Nanocrystals. Npj Comput. Mater. 2026. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2603.05420.
(* invited)
Research Opportunities at ASU - 2018 June
Sundial Physics Leadership and Mentorship Conference, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Zinc Sulfide Surface Energetics with Application to Nucleation Rates in Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2022 October
STOHT Conference, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Measurement of Nanoparticle Surface Energies with Application to Nucleation and Condensation in Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2023 December
Navrotsky International Symposium (2rd Intl. Symp. on Geochemistry for Sustainable Development), SIPS by FLOGEN Stars Outreach
Panama City, Panama
Measurement of Nanoparticle Surface Energies with Application to Silicate Nucleation and Condensation in Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2024 October
DPS 56th Meeting, American Astronomical Society
Boise, Idaho
* Surface Energy of Amorphous Enstatite and its Implication for the Formation of Silicate Clouds in Hot Jupiter Atmospheres - 2024 October
Nancy Ross International Symposium (3rd Intl. Symp. on Geochemistry Sustainable Development), SIPS by FLOGEN Stars Outreach
Crete, Greece
* Laboratory Techniques for Surface Energy Measurements of Mineral Condensates in Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2025 January
PICASO Fest, University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Tucson, Arizona
Measurement of Nanoparticle Surface Energies with Application to Silicate Nucleation and Condensation in Exoplanet Atmospheres (iPoster) - 2025 June
246th American Astronomical Society
Anchorage, Alaska
* Surface Energies of Amorphous Silicates and Implications for Cloud Formation Pathways in Hot Jupiters and Brown Dwarfs - 2025 June
NASA Earth and Planetary Cloud Workshop for the Planetary Cloud/Aerosol Research Facility (PCARF) at Caltech
Pasadena, California
Surface Energy Measurements of Silicates with Application to Nucleation and Condensation in Exoplanet Atmospheres WASP-17b and VHS 1256 b (poster) - 2025 July
Carl Sagan Exoplanet Atmospheres Workshop
Pasadena, California
* Laboratory Measurements of Surface Energies for Improved Accuracy in Atmospheric Modeling - 2025 July
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
* Surface Energy Measurements of Amorphous Silicates and Implications for the Silicate Clouds in Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2025 November
4th Intl. Symp. on Geochemistry Sustainable Development, SIPS by FLOGEN Stars Outreach
Cebu, Philippines
A Planetary Trilogy: Surface Energetics of Amorphous Nano-Silicates and Implications for Aerosol Cloud Nucleation and Condensation in Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres WASP-17b, VHS 1256 b, and YSES-1 c - 2026 January
247th American Astronomical Society
Phoenix, Arizona
Surface Energies of Amorphous and Crystalline Silicates and their Implication for the Formation of Silicate Clouds in Hot Jupiter Atmospheres - 2026 February
Mineralogical Society of America
Tucson, Arizona
Nanoparticle Surface Energy Measurements to Determine Condensation and Nucleation Rates in Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2026 March
11th American Astronomical Society Topical Conference Series: Exoplanet Atmospheres
Denver, Colorado
Water and Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Enthalpies on Amorphous Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) Nanoparticles and Implications for Exoplanet Atmospheres - 2026 June
248th American Astronomical Society
Pasadena, California
* H2O and CO2 Adsorption Enthalpy Measurements on Amorphous Forsterite Nanoparticles - 2026 June
NASA Earth and Planetary Cloud Workshop for the Planetary Cloud/Aerosol Research Facility (PCARF) at Caltech
Caltech, Pasadena, California
FI, NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology, Planetary Science ($150k)
2022-2025
Measurement of Nanoparticle Surface Energies with Application to Nucleation and Condensation in Exoplanet Atmospheres
Graduate Excellence Scholarship from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ($48k)
2022-2025
Awards in the form of full monetary stipends for tuition and health insurance are provided to graduate students who have received independent research grants from external institutions
National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) Award for Academic Excellence
2025
Invite-only candidacy is a nationally recognized achievement of honorable distinction available to a limited number of students per year; Invited to give a seminar on scientific communication for graduate students; selected for Academic Excellence Award
Navrotsky Eyring Center for Materials of the Universe