Laura Bilenker, PhD, College of Sciences and Mathematics Faculty and Staff

Professional Experience

• Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, 2025-present
• Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, 2018-2025
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Multi-Disciplinary Applied Geochemistry Network, University of British Columbia, 2016-2018
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Geology & Environmental Sciences, Bucknell University, 2015

Innovation

As an economic geologist and geochemist, I aim to understand how metals move and become concentrated within Earth’s crust. My Economic Geology and Geochemistry research group at Auburn investigates the formation and alteration history of metal, or ore, deposits using both field-based and experimental methods.

I am particularly interested in using isotopes to track ore-forming processes, especially transition metal stable isotope systems. We study a wide variety of ore deposit types, but most often focus on high-temperature magmatic and hydrothermal systems.

The in-house analytical facilities and equipment that the Economic Geology and Geochemistry group runs or helps manage include petrographic microscopes and a laser ablation system, Elemental Scientific Lasers NWR 193, coupled to an Agilent 7900 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. For isotope analyses, we regularly collaborate with scientists at external laboratories.

At Auburn, we also run six Waspaloy cold-seal pressure vessels in a high-temperature experimental petrology lab designed to simulate the conditions within and near a magma chamber.

I am always looking for motivated undergraduate students who have completed Dynamic Earth, GEOL 1100, to assist with research activities in the Economic Geology and Geochemistry lab. Please reach out by email or stop by my office.

If you are interested in completing a Geology MS or ESS PhD, please feel free to reach out. Opportunities vary each year.