NC State MEAS

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Assistant Professor Maggie Ellis Curry, who has earned an NSF CAREER award! This award is considered one of the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards for early-career faculty.

The award will support Curry’s tectonic systems research and outreach efforts for the next five years.

“It’s an honor to receive this award,” Curry said. “Geologists are critical toward many aspects of our economy and our society, and critical minerals are really bringing that into the spotlight. I’m incredibly excited, and I’m looking for undergraduate and graduate students who may want to get involved.”

Using numerical modeling approaches, Curry and her students will reconstruct the landscape of North Carolina between 60 million and 300 million years ago, looking at how the coastal plains region has changed over time and how that change has led to the development of critical minerals. Her end goal is to establish a framework to better understand why critical mineral deposits exist where they do, where they came from and where more deposits might be.

While her research will be extensive, so too will be her outreach efforts. By partnering with middle school teachers, Wake Tech and the NC Geological Survey, Curry will work to show more students the exciting world of geology 🪨🔨

Learn more at https://meas.sciences.ncsu.edu/2026/07/08/geologist-maggie-ellis-curry-nsf-career-award-tectonic-systems-critical-minerals-outreach/

Around this time last week, our geology upperclassmen completed their last day of field mapping out in New Mexico 🌄 They handed in their last assignment, and for our summer graduates, it was their very last assignment at NC State.

Please join us in congratulating our summer graduates and cheering on our rising seniors 👏 Go Geology Pack!

We are thrilled to share that Professor Chris Osburn has been named as the Goodnight Distinguished Chair in Sustainability!

Created in 2024 thanks to a gift from Dr. James and Mrs. Ann Goodnight, the professorship reflects NC State’s priority to recruit and retain outstanding senior faculty.

Osburn's professorship selection recognizes his creative teaching style and leadership in environmental research and discovery, community engagement, innovation and ocean sustainability. In addition to his role as a professor, Osburn serves as director of the Blue Economy Innovation Program and director of coastal research and innovation for the Climate and Sustainability Academy.

“We’re grateful to the Goodnights for helping us recognize and support talented faculty members like Chris Osburn,” said Lewis Owen, dean of the College of Sciences. “Our students benefit from his innovative teaching and our state and society benefit from his research.”

Learn more about Osburn’s research and this major accomplishment under our Latest News tab — link in bio 🔗

Another look at the marine science summer field course, this time in Emerald Isle! 🏖️