The College of Arts and Sciences

Erica Emerson

MS Student Earth Sciences

Advisor: Linda Ivany

Research and Teaching Interests

My research interests range from mineralogy, specifically diamonds and gemology, to paleontology. Before my acceptance to Syracuse University, I worked for the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York City studying diamonds and pearls to determine their origin (i.e. natural, treated, and synthetic). I left GIA after 3 years to pursue my dream of obtaining a higher degree and came to Syracuse to work on my master’s degree. I have currently been working on paleontological research with Linda Ivany. A recent paper by Laub et al., (2010) determined that the chelicerae of a pterygotid eurypterid was too weak to crush shelled organisms, leading us to question their role as top-level marine predators. Linda and I have been working on a pterygotid study to determine if they were predators, scavengers or herbivores.

Teaching

Syracuse University:

EAR101 Dynamic Earth Lab, Professor: Scott Samson, Fall 2011

EAR325 Introduction to Paleobiology, Professor: Linda Ivany, Spring 2012

Mount Holyoke College:

GEOL102 History of Life Lab, Professor: Mark McMenamin Spring 2006 and Spring 2008

GEOL/ASTRON104 Planet Earth, Professor: M. Darby Dyar, Spring 2006

Publications

Geological Society of America

Hollocher, K., Stack, K., Emerson, E. and Denny, A. (2008) Petrology of Big Garnet Amphibolites, North Creek – Warrensburg Area, Adirondacks, NY. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 40, No. 2.

Lavarreda, A. Emerson, E., Herbert, G., Harries, P., Oches, R. and Portell, R. (2007) Developmental Basis of size decrease in Turritella gastropods during a regional mass extinction in the Plio-Plesitocene of Florida. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 39, No. 2, p. 84.

Gems & Gemology Articles, Lab Notes and Gem New International (GNI)

Emerson, E., Johnson, P. and Win, W. (2009) Bicolor Diamond. G&G, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 134-135.

Emerson, E. (2009) Hydrogen Cloud with Etch Channels. G&G, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 209-210 • Emerson, E., Johnson, P. (2009) Colorless Petalite and Pollucite from Laghman, Afghanistan. G&G, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 150-151.

Darley, J. Emerson, E. and Johnson, P. (2009) Octahedral diamond with Stellate cloud • Emerson E., Darley J. (2010) Chrysocolla chalcedony form Acari, Peru. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 148-149.

Emerson E., Darley J. (2010) Tsavorite and other green garnets reportedly from Afghanistan. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 154-155.

Emerson E., Wang W. (2010) Interesting Display of the H3 Defect in a Colorless Diamond. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 142-143.

Wang, W. Doering, P. Tower, J. Lu, R. Eaton-Magana, S. Johnson, P. Emerson, E. and Moses, T. (2010) Strongly Colored Pink CVD Lab-Grown Diamonds. Gems & Gemology, Vol. XLVI, Spring 2010, pp. 4-17.

Emerson E., (2011) Coated Black Diamond. Gems & Gemology, Vol 47, No. 3, pp.

Darley, J., Emerson, E. (2011) Hemimorphite from China

Keck Geology Consortium

Emerson, E. (2008). Analysis of Iron Oxidation in Garnets. Adirondack Project, Keck Geology Consortium Undergraduate Research Symposium, Vol. 21, p. 140-141.