Maria Gonzalez

Maria Gonzalez is a Lecturer in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Central Michigan University (CMU), within the College of Science and Engineering. She has been a member of the faculty since 2005, serving as a Fixed-Term Faculty and currently holding the rank of Lecturer III. Her teaching spans foundational and advanced undergraduate geology courses, including Physical Geology, Mineralogy, Petrology, and Earth Systems.

Education:

• Licenciatura in Ciencias Geologicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina (1994)
• Doctor en Geologia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina (1997)

Her research centers on the geochemistry of hydrothermal ore deposits and fluid inclusion geothermobarometry, with a strong recent focus on pedagogical innovation in Earth Sciences education. She actively promotes Active Learning and student-centered methodologies across her curriculum.

The available publications indicate engagement with extreme geological environments, particularly acid saline lakes, and their relevance as analogues for Martian surface processes. This reflects interdisciplinary interests bridging terrestrial geology and planetary science.

Scientific Contributions:

• Co-authored research on acid saline lake sedimentology and its implications for Mars
• Contributed to interdisciplinary studies on acid brines and their geological and astrobiological significance

Maria Gonzalez is deeply involved in undergraduate education and curriculum development at CMU. She has no listed advisees or formal research students in the provided text. Her work integrates research-based teaching with field-relevant geological inquiry, particularly in extreme environments and their planetary analogues.