COSAM News Articles 2017 November Geology graduate student receives international award

Geology graduate student receives international award

Published: 11/10/2017

Geology graduate student Leticia de Marchi is the recipient of a prestigious international award from the Barringer Family Fund for Meteorite Impact Research, which provides funding to students interested in the study of impact cratering processes. The highly competitive grant is presented to approximately four students each year to support field research at known or suspected impact sites worldwide.

de Marchi, who is a native of Brazil, came to Auburn to pursue a master’s in geology under the direction of Geology Professor David King. She and King are conducting a study on the infilling process of the Flynn Creek Crater in Tennessee, which is a marine impact crater that formed 380 million years ago.

“I am interested in impact craters because I think it is really interesting how some external factors can be responsible for our surface today, how something outside our planet can be responsible for our planet’s structure today,” said de Marchi. “The impact craters connect outer space with the earth.”

The Barringer Family Fund for Meteorite Impact Research was established as a memorial to recognize the contributions of Brandon, Moreau, Paul and Richard Barringer to the field of meteoritics and the Barringer family’s strong interest and support over many years in research and student education. In addition to its memorial nature, the fund also reflects the family’s long-standing commitment to responsible stewardship of The Barringer Meteorite Crater and the family’s steadfast resolve in maintaining the crater as a unique scientific research and education site.