Brent Elliott

Dr. Brent Elliott is a Research Associate Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology, part of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. He joined the Bureau in August 2012 following resource evaluation work for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. His expertise spans field geology, geochemical modeling, mineral resource assessment, and academic instruction with over 15 years of university-level teaching experience.

Dr. Elliott's research focuses on economic mineral resources, including uranium distribution in the Texas Gulf Coast, rare earth element potential in West Texas laccoliths, frac sand characterization, and aggregate resource evaluation for infrastructure development. His multidisciplinary approach integrates petrology, geochronology, tectonics, and geospatial modeling to study ore-forming processes and resource logistics.

Recent publications emphasize critical mineral resources (lithium, REE, uranium), magmatic-hydrothermal systems in Trans-Pecos Texas, and geospatial assessment methodologies. His articles consistently address mineral formation mechanisms, resource prospectivity modeling, and practical applications for industry and government stakeholders.

He mentors students through research supervision and leads federally funded initiatives, including NSF–IRES international collaborations examining Slovakian ore systems. Current partnerships involve the U.S. Geological Survey, Texas Department of Transportation, and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. His team is developing analytical capabilities for mineral characterization as part of the PRC 131 laboratory renovation.