Prospective graduate students and UMD undergrads interested in igneous petrology, experimental petrology, mineralogy, or geochemistry contact Dr. Fred Davis to find out about research opportunities. Current research topics include: role of iron oxidation state in the formation of basalts at mid-ocean ridges and volcanic oceanic islands; using metals like iron, manganese, and zinc to investigate the role of ancient subducted crust in the formation magmas in the mantle at modern ridges and hot spots; and investigating the thermal and chemical evolution of the lithosphere by analyzing the chemistry of mantle xenoliths - rocks carried from the mantle to the surface by volcanoes.