IRES Track I: The origins of magnetite-pipes in the Bushveld Complex, South Africa and their strategic-mineral resources

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The project will recruit three cohorts of students from Texas Tech University (TTU) to participate in an International Research Experience for Students (IRES) studying the origins and development of magnetite-pipe structures in the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Participant cohorts will include students with media and communication training who will document the research experience via real-time social-media platforms, and collate media materials to produce short documentaries of the IRES experience. The students will pursue Geoscience-centric research documenting the occurrence of the pipe-like structures, and apply laboratory techniques to understand their composition, physical properties and origins. The pipe-structures contain significant abundances of magnetite, an important iron-ore resource, and may also contain economically significant abundances of phosphor, vanadium titanium and rare elements such as zirconium, niobium and tantalum. The students will develop research and communication-skills in describing and analyzing these important mineral and metal resources that are critical to economic priorities in the high-tech, defense and telecommunication industries. Participants will also have opportunities to visit mining locations to learn about the extraction and processing of these strategic resources. A parallel research stream will seek to address why Study Abroad Program participation rates by Hispanic students are significantly lower compared to institutional enrollment demographics. Using student produced media, customized communication strategies that appeal to different student populations at TTU will be used to develop models for broadening participation in Study Abroad Programs. Through collaboration with South African researchers and students the program will foster exchange of knowledge, perspectives, cultural experiences and raise awareness of global-scale challenges in mineral resource exploration, exploitation and supply-chains in U.S. students. The Media & Communication products will be available to the TTU Office of International Affairs for promotion and recruitment purposes. More broadly, the materials will be used by the institution to promote the global nature of a Texas Tech education under the ?Bear our Banners Far and Wide ? Communication in a Global Environment? Quality Enhancement Plan. Participants will receive an array of value-added educational and professional development opportunities (communication skills, leadership, cultural awareness) that will promote and advance their preparation for entering the work-place. Magnetite-ilmenite-apatite assemblages that are enriched in iron-titanium-phosphor (Fe-Ti-P) are found in a variety of localities worldwide. Some deposits contain uncommonly high abundances of titanium (Ti) and vanadium (V) and may be exploited for these more valuable resources, which are increasingly sought after for applications in the energy, electronics and high-technology sectors. The Bushveld Complex contains perhaps as much as 90% of the world?s proven V2O5 resources, significant proportions of which are concentrated in layers and pipe-like structures dominated by magnetite. Despite their economic potential the pipes are little studied features that have an unknown distribution, occurrence and volume, poorly constrained relationships with the larger Bushveld Complex and the few descriptions of their petrology have disagreed on their petrogenetic origin. A parallel media and communication research-stream will inform strategies for the recruitment of more diverse student cohorts to STEM and Study Abroad programs. Building participant cohorts from different disciplines will enable perceptions held by STEM and non-STEM students about other fields of study to be examined and strategies to promote inter-disciplinary awareness on complex global structures, such as the strategic-mineral industry, will be examined. The longer-term goal will be to foster familiarization with scientific research methods among participants, particularly from under-represented communities, who are considering applying to graduate programs. Inclusion of the IRES program on R?sum?s will strengthen graduate program application packages increasing their competitiveness for funded offers of admission, which is recognized to be an important consideration for under-represented and first-generation college students considering graduate school. The program will also promote success of participants in graduate research by providing a level of preparedness to counter common challenges faced with students from such cohorts (e.g. imposter syndrome, sense of belonging and place, integration into a research-intensive Department).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.