Jade Star Lackey

Jade Star Lackey is a Professor of Geology at Pomona College, where he has been faculty since 2007. He directs both the Pomona College X-ray Fluorescence Laboratory and co-directs the Oxtoby Isotope Laboratory (OIL), facilities that host researchers from over a dozen institutions. Currently on leave for the 2025-2026 academic year, he remains an active researcher and educator specializing in igneous and metamorphic systems.

His research focuses on stable isotope geochemistry applied to magmatic and hydrothermal systems, particularly within the Sierra Nevada batholith. Key interests include:

• Deciphering magma system evolution through single-crystal zoning analysis
• Monitoring fluid fluxes using isotopic studies of marble roof pendants
• Applying oxygen isotope analysis to garnet and zircon in peraluminous magmas
• Resolving terrane cooling histories via titanite isotopes
• Evaluating trace element mobility in natural coal fires

His work combines field studies in California, Canada, Sweden, and Australia with advanced laboratory techniques.

Lackey's publication record shows consistent trends in Sierra Nevada batholith evolution and hydrothermal fluid dynamics, with emphasis on oxygen isotope systematics in accessory minerals. His most recent work integrates zircon U-Pb dating with stable isotopes to unravel hydrothermal system histories and magmatic flare-ups. The research spans Precambrian to Pleistocene timescales, connecting deep crustal processes with surface climate impacts.

Major scientific recognition includes:

• Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant ($922,816) establishing the Oxtoby Isotope Lab
• National Science Foundation funding for magma source studies ($87,145)
• NSF grant ($200,000) for XRF curricular enhancement
• American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund award ($50,000)
• Research Corporation Cottrell Grant ($100,000) for biogeochemical research

As an advisor, Lackey has mentored over a dozen undergraduate researchers who appear as co-authors on his publications, including Windham (PO'11), Frazer (PO'09), and Romero (PO'12). His grants from NSF, Moore Foundation, ACS, and Keck Consortium have directly supported student fieldwork and laboratory research. The Oxtoby Isotope Laboratory and XRF facility serve as central hubs for collaborative projects across Southern California institutions.

Laboratory leadership defines his institutional impact: he spearheaded the Oxtoby Isotope Lab founding in 2017 and operates a 4.2 kW Thermo-ARL wavelength dispersive XRF system pushing rare earth element analysis capabilities. These facilities enable cutting-edge research on mineral chemistry and isotopic signatures critical to his magmatic and hydrothermal studies.