Aurora Pun

Principal Lecturer

Photo: Aurora Pun

UNM 2010 Lecturer of the Year

Education: 
Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1996
Email: 
apun@unm.edu
Phone: 
505-277-5629
Office: 
Northrop Hall Rm. 223C

Related Website/s

Research Area/s:

Geochemistry/Petrology/Mineralogy,  Planetary Sciences

Research and Academic Interests:

My research interests include meteorite geochemistry with an emphasis on planetary igneous systems. This involves examining the interactions between major-, minor- and trace-elements between mineral phases to elucidate the possible origins of these rocks. My interests also covers terrestrial rocks, such as those of banded iron formation and their possible link to large hematite deposits found on Mars. Another aspect of my research involves science education, how students learn from their textbooks and how students learn in their classroom environment.

Recent Publications:

Smith, G. A. and Pun, A. (2010) How Does Earth Work? Physical Geology and the Process of Science. Prentice Hall, ~599 pp.

Rietmeijer F.J.M., Pun A. and Nuth III J.A. (2009) Dust formation and evolution in a Ca-Fe-SiO-H2-O2 vapor phase condensation experiments & astronomical implications. Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 396, 402-408.

Rietmeijer F.J.M., Pun A. and Nuth III J.A. (2008) A deep metastable eutectic iron–aluminate. Chemical Physics Letters, 458, 355–358.

Rietmeijer F.J.M., Pun A., Kimura Y. and Nuth III J.A. (2008) A Refractory Ca-SiO-H2-O2 vapor condensation experiment with implications for calciosilica dust transforming to silicate and carbonate minerals. Icarus, 195, Issue 1, 493-503.

Pun, A. (2007) Using Concept Inventories to Measure Student Learning Gains. Success in the Classroom: Sharing Practices that Work, A UNM Community Conference. http://www.unm.edu/~oset/Success.html.

Pun, Aurora, Papike, J.J., and Shearer, C.K, (2002) Trace-element analysis of carbonate minerals in the Gunflint banded iron formation. Lunar Planetary Sci. Conf. XXXIII, abstract #1357.

Smith, G.A.and Pun, Aurora (2001) Textbook and lecture tools for promoting learning in physical geology. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, no. 6, p. A-63

Smith, G.A., Pun, Aurora, and Castrounis, A. (2001) Learning geology in the field - Old mountain belts to young volcanoes near Albuquerque. Guidebook for 2001 Rocky Mountain-South Central Geological Society of America Meeting, 37 p.

Selverstone J., Pun A., and Condie, K.C. (1999) Xenolithic evidence for Proterozoic crustal evolution beneath the Colorado Plateau. GSA Bulletin, 111, no. 4, 590-606.

Pun A., Keil K., Taylor G.J., and Wieler R. (1998) Kapoeta: Implications for the regolith evolution of the HED parent body. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 33, 835-851.

Pun A., Papike J.J., and Layne, G.D. (1997) Subsolidus REE partitioning between pyroxene and plagioclase in cumulate eucrites: An ion-microprobe investigation. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta, 61, 5089-5097.

Pun A. and Papike J.J. (1995) Ion microprobe investigation of exsolved pyroxenes in cumulate eucrites: Determination of minor and trace-element partition coefficients. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta, 59, 2279-2289.