Sonya is a geographer at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Sonya obtained her bachelor’s degree in Geology from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 2021. She is currently working with the Planetary Mapping Group, Astrolink, and Planetary Data Systems groups to make various resources more digitally accessible to the planetary science community, including maps, data, and archival materials.
I graduated from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 2021, and while obtaining my bachelor’s degree in Geology, I spent extensive time in the field, creating my own proposals, and researching various geologic topics. I was a two-time recipient of the Hooper Undergraduate Research Award, heading my own research theses in the fields of Paleoecology and Volcanology, while also helping with lab and research assistantships. I previously worked on the NASA RPIF/Astrolink archival inventory project at the Astrogeology Science Center (ASC), and the exposure to planetary science, data management, and public accessibility all piqued my interest. My main points of interest are geologic mapping, fieldwork, GIS, and data accessibility. /the opportunities to provide greater support for the planetary science community and for the general public make me eager to see what the future holds at ASC!
Professional Experience
2022 – Present: Geographer, USGS Astrogeology Science Center
2021: Laboratory Assistant, NAU Center for Ecosystem Science and Society
2020 – 2021: Principal Investigator, NAU School of Earth & Sustainability
2019 – 2021: Student Contractor, USGS Astrogeology Science Center
2019 – 2020: Principal Investigator, NAU Laboratory of Paleoecology
2018 – 2019: Research Assistant, NAU Laboratory of Paleoecology
Education and Certifications
B.S. Geology, Northern Arizona University (2021)
Honors and Awards
2020 – Larry Headlee Award
2020 – Cree Foundation Award
2019, 2020 – Hooper Undergraduate Research Award Grant
2018 – NAU Interns-to-Scholars Undergraduate Research Grant
Abstracts and Presentations
2021 NAU Undergraduate Research Symposium – Determining Subduction Initiation Patterns Through Geochemical Analysis of Detrital Zircons, Sierra Nevada, CA
2021 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference – Improvements To Information Services In Astrolink
2020 NAU Undergraduate Research Symposium – The Microscopic Analysis of Post-Glacial Plant Remains from Kelly Lake, Kenai Lowlands, Alaska
Science and Products
Astrolink
Science and Products
- Science
Astrolink
The NASA/USGS Astrolink, located in the Shoemaker Building (Building 6) on the USGS Campus in Flagstaff, Arizona, is a facility of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Astrolink houses 3,000 square feet of climate-controlled space with more than 100,000 lunar and planetary maps, a reference library, an ever-growing photo and document archive that chronicles the history and on-going activities of...