My doctoral work focuses on understanding the chemical evolution of mafic (basalt and basaltic andesite) lavas in the central Oregon High Cascades. My overarching tasks are to 1) describe the distribution of mafic lavas in the Oregon High Cascades, 2) determine why basaltic andesites in particular are so abundant in this part of the Cascades, and 3) examine how the chemistry of individual volcanic centers compare to those in close proximity. I am using a combination of bulk rock geochemistry, new geologic dates, petrography, and eventually isotopes to answer these outstanding questions.

At long last, I finished the fieldwork for my degree early on in the summer. Between the summer of 2022 and this past summer of 2025, I took a total of 11 trips to my field area and brought along a dozen PSU undergraduates as field assistants. My "Citizen Science" campaign has been greatly successful as well. Several GSOC and COGS members have left an invaluable imprint on my research by gathering additional rock samples for me outside of the areas I was able to access on my own.

With my fieldwork complete, I have been focusing on getting the last of my lab work done and writing my dissertation. Lab work has included bulk rock geochemical analyses at Washington State, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, and most recently isotopic analyses at New Mexico State. I anticipate adding in electron microprobe analyses and a handful of new Ar/Ar dates by the time the project is finished. If all goes well, I should be graduating in 2026... whether that means graduating in the Spring, Summer, or Fall is up in the air!

This degree has been a group effort and GSOC has provided me with both financial support and encouragement through it all. I am incredibly grateful for GSOC and everyone who has donated to the Bev Vogt Scholarship Fund over the years!