معرفی
Donna L. Whitney is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Head of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota, where she leads the Structure, Tectonics, and Metamorphic Petrology (STAMP) research group. Her work spans metamorphic petrology, tectonics, and crustal dynamics with field sites across the North American Cordillera, Turkey, France, and Norway.
Research focuses on reconstructing chemical and physical processes in metamorphic rocks to understand crustal evolution, including dynamics of partially molten crust through collaborations with Christian Teyssier and Patrice Rey. She directs the CD-CAT project in Turkey investigating mantle-to-surface dynamics in tectonic escape systems and maintains longstanding interests in metamorphic textures like garnet microstructures and deformation-metamorphism interactions.
Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated research on exhumation mechanisms, migmatite dome formation, shear zone dynamics, subduction zone geochemistry, and intracratonic deformation patterns across diverse geological settings.
Scientific awards:
- Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Active grants include five National Science Foundation projects as PI or CoI, such as lawsonite as a redox sensor in subduction zones (2024-2027), mafic inclusions in migmatite domes (2020-2025), and Western Gneiss Region exhumation studies in Norway (2018-2024). She accepts undergraduate and graduate research students for projects involving petrography and analytical methods in metamorphic petrology and structural geology.
Laboratory leadership includes the STAMP Research Group and CD-CAT project, emphasizing integrated field, microstructural, and geochemical approaches to crustal evolution.
