Empower April 2026
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
(0 Comments)
✳ GWISEMPOWER People · Purpose · Pathways Member Spotlight — April 2026 |
| ★ GWIS EMPOWER — MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ★ |  Madison Betts | Madison Betts PhD Candidate South Dakota School of Mines & Technology | Graduate Student | Petrology | Planetary Sci. |
| | "Understanding how igneous systems work on Earth and other planetary bodies, from mid-ocean ridges to the surfaces of Mars." |
|
| “ As high-achieving women, it’s common to develop a perfectionist complex. Allow yourself to make mistakes without feeling ashamed and foster environments where your future students have that same grace. Madison Betts · Advice to Early-Career Women in Science | | | Background & Journey From Nevada Deserts to Mid-Ocean Ridges Madison’s scientific journey began at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she earned a BS in Geology with a 3.83 GPA. Her undergraduate years were defined by initiative — she joined Dr. Elizabeth Hausrath’s geochemistry lab as a junior, synthesizing ferrous and magnesium smectites under anoxic conditions. That foundation launched her into a prestigious Jacob internship at NASA Johnson Space Center, where she developed novel synthesis protocols for serpentine and talc minerals and became an independent user of XRD and SEM-EDS analysis, producing mineral analogues for comparison against CHEMIN data from Gale Crater on Mars. In Summer 2022, Madison joined Dr. Gokce Ustunisik’s research group at SDSMT as a full-time RA. Her MS thesis tackled the petrogenesis of plagioclase ultraphyric basalts (PUBs) from Gorda Ridge, Blanco Fracture Zone, and the Endeavor Segment of Juan de Fuca, combining major and trace element measurements to illuminate mid-ocean ridge processes. She defended successfully in April 2024 and published her thesis manuscript as first author in Lithos. | Doctoral Research Unlocking Low-Ca Pyroxene Secrets — Earth & Mars Madison’s PhD dissertation focuses on “Quantifying the impact of the structural state of low-Ca pyroxenes on trace element partitioning between orthopyroxene, pigeonite, and silicate melt.” The three-chapter project includes an analysis of the existing experimental database, piston cylinder phase equilibria and partitioning experiments, and the application of new predictive models to improve understanding of magma evolution on both Earth and Mars. During her MS, Madison discovered that prior experimental investigations failed to identify the specific low-Ca pyroxene present in run products, a significant source of error in modeling magma evolution on two planets. In Fall 2025, she defended her dissertation proposal, passed her comprehensive exam, and published the first chapter as first author in Frontiers in Geochemistry, documenting how mischaracterization of low-Ca pyroxene systematically biases existing partition coefficient datasets. | | 🏛️ | Science Policy & Advocacy In response to federal actions targeting science funding in 2025, Madison participated in AGU’s Days of Action in Washington D.C., meeting with South Dakota congressional representatives to advocate for research and education funding. She has found that political action transforms anxiety into purpose, and is now considering a future at the intersection of science policy and communication. |
| | | Publications | | Frontiers in Geochemistry · 2025 The landscape of the experimental orthopyroxene/melt partitioning database Betts, M. X., Ustunisik, G., & Nielsen, R. L. |
| | Lithos · 2025 Boundary Conditions for the Petrogenesis of Plagioclase Ultraphyric Basalts from the NE Pacific Ridge System Betts, M. X., Ustunisik, G., Nielsen, R. L., & Daynes, O. G. |
Key Conferences › AGU Fall Meeting – D.C. (2025) › AGU Fall Meeting – D.C. (2024) › AGU Fall Meeting – S.F. (2023) › Goldschmidt – Lyon, France (2023) › AGU Fall Meeting – Chicago (2022) 9 total abstracts · 4 as first author | | Honors & Awards | ★ | Outstanding MS Student — GGE Dept. Spring 2024 |
| | ★ | J.P. and Virginia Gries Fellowship 2024 & 2022 |
| | ★ | Anne Fenton Wyman Scholarship 2020 |
| | ★ | Bernada French Scholarship 2020 |
| | ★ | NASA Jacob Internship — JSC Undergraduate |
|
|
| What GWIS Means to Madison Being part of GWIS has provided Madison with friendships with women from different departments and backgrounds, giving her a greater understanding of the multitude of challenges that other women in science have faced, and a community to face them together. | Advice for Early-Career Women in Science “As high-achieving women, it’s common for us to develop a perfectionist complex. The truth is, we don’t know the correct answers to every question, and an important part of learning is getting things wrong. Allow yourself to make mistakes without feeling ashamed or getting discouraged, and foster environments where your future students have that same grace.” | | | Nominations Open — Rolling Basis Know a GWIS member whose story deserves a spotlight? | ✻ GWIS EMPOWER 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite #1825 · New York, NY 10001 · www.gwis.org President Brooke Long-Fox · Media Editor Veena Prasad · Empower Editor Faizah Alabi |
|