Dr. Marek Locmelis, associate professor of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering, joined the office of the vice chancellor for research and innovation as a faculty fellow. His role includes working with S&T’s research constellation to achieve strategic goals and helping advancing key initiatives. Initiatives include young investigator mentoring, proposal review and mentoring panel, plus award capture and large proposal support.

Locmelis specializes in economic geology, planetary evolution and analytical chemistry. He received a 2014 NASA postdoctoral fellowship award to investigate the evolution of redox conditions in the Earth’s interior. He also received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award in 2020 for his research on translithospheric critical metal transport by magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. Locmelis is the chair of the NSF-funded workshop series titled “Resilient Supply of Critical Minerals.”

Locmelis holds a Ph.D. in Earth and planetary sciences from Macquarie University, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Leibniz University. He joined Missouri S&T in 2016 from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Before NASA, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Western Australia.