Professor Hilary Downes elected to the Presidency of the Mineralogical Society
Professor Downes plans to raise the profile of this well-established society with its excellent resources during her Presidency.
Professor Hilary Downes has been elected to the role of President of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland for two years. The Society, established in 1876, supports the advancement of the science of mineralogy and its application across a range of disciplines, including geochemistry, crystallography, petrology and economic geology.
Professor Downes’ research has spanned investigations into the Earth’s continental lithosphere (the upper mantle and lower crust of our planet) to more recent studies into meteorites, particularly ureilites where her research reveals insights into the early Solar System.
During her Presidency she will concentrate on raising the profile of the Society, by encouraging greater participation by students and academics in its various meetings and conferences. She recently attended the Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group 3-day conference in Dublin, which was partly sponsored by the Society, and will be attending the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston at the end of March where she hopes to encourage more planetary scientists to join the Society and make use of its excellent range of publications.
Professor Downes will be giving a talk on the Lost Worlds of the Solar System, as part of our 2016 Science Week – programme details and how to book will be announced shortly.