Education

B.S. Computer Science (major) and Applied Math (minor), University of Colorado, Boulder.
M.S. Geology, University of Colorado, Boulder. (Advisor: S.J. Mojzsis)
Presently at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY. (Advisor: E.B. Watson)

Teaching Experience

Spring 2009, Teaching Assistant ERTH2140/CHEM2540 Introduction to Geochemistry, RPI
Fall 2004, Teaching Assistant, GEOL3300 University of Colorado, Boulder.
Jan 2004 - May 2004 Tutor(all levels): I Have A Dream Foundation, Boulder, Colorado.

Publications

Trail , D., Bindeman, I.N., Watson, E.B., Schmitt, A.K. (2009) Experimental calibration of oxygen isotope fractionation between quartz and zircon. (Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 73, 7110-7126, doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2009.08.024)
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J., and Harrison, T.M. (2007) Thermal events documented in Hadean zircons by ion microprobe depth profiles. (Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 4044-4065, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2007.06.003).
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J., Harrison, T.M., Schmitt, A.K., Watson, E.B., and Young, E.D. (2007) Constraints on Hadean zircon protoliths from oxygen isotopes, Ti-thermometry, and rare earth elements (Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 8, Q06014, doi:10.1029/2006GC001449).

Conference Abstracts

Trail, D., Thomas, J.B., Watson, E.B. (2009) OH in zircon. Goldschmidt 2009
Trail, D., Bindeman I.N., Watson, E.B. (2008) Experimental calibration of zircon-quartz oxygen isotope fractionation. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 72 (12): A954.
Mojzsis, S.J., Abramov, O., Harrison, T.M., Kring, D.A., Levison, H.F. Trail, D., Watson, E.B. Exploring for early bombardments on Earth from pre-3.85 Ga thermal effects recorded in Hadean zircons - a status report, Eos Trans. AGU, 89(53), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract V11E-07, 2008.
Mojzsis, S.J., Abramov, O.,Harrison, T.M., Kring, D.A., Levison, H.F., Trail, D. , Watson, E.B.(2008) Exploring for early bombardments on Earth from pre-3.83 Ga Thermal events recorded in Hadean zircons – A status report. LPI Early Solar system impact bombardment workshop
Trail, D. (2008) Samarium and neodymium metal-silicate partition coefficients and their bearing on Earth's missing sub-chondritic 142Nd/144Nd reservoir. 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Harrison, T.M., Trail, D., Schmitt, A.K., Watson, E.B. (2007) Rutile 207Pb-206Pb Ages in the Jack Hills Quartzite, Western Australia.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71 (15): A383.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J., Harrison, T.M. (2007) Thermal events documented in Hadean zircons by ion microprobe depth profiles. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71 (15): A1035.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J., Harrison, T.M., Schmitt, A.K., Watson, E.B., and Young, E.D. (2006) Crust and oceans, atmosphere and continents: A new paradigm for the Hadean Earth 2006 AGU Fall Meeting.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J., Harrison, T.M. and Levison, H.F. (2006) Do Hadean zircons retain a record of the Late Heavy Bombardment on Earth? 37th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J. and Harrison, T.M. (2005) Pre-Archean thermal events recorded in >4.0 Ga zircons. 2005 AGU Fall Meeting.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J. and Harrison, T.M. (2005)Oxygen isotopes in 4.37-3.8 Ga zircons indicate the presence of a hydrosphere in the Hadean. Astrobiology 5(2), A1005: pp. 199-200.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J. and Harrison, T.M. (2005) Hadean crustal processes revealed from oxygen isotopes and U-Th-Pb depth profiling of pre-4 Ga detrital zircons from Western Australia. 36th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Trail, D., Mojzsis, S.J. and Harrison, T.M. (2004) Inclusion mineralogy of pre-4.0 Ga zircons from Jack Hills, Western Australia: A progress report. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 68 (11): A743.
Trail, D., Catlos, E.J., Harrison, T.M. and Mojzsis, S.J. (2004) New analyses of diverse Hadean zircon inclusions from Jack Hills, Western Australia. 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Awards and Honors

2009: Lewis & Clark Field Scholar in Astrobiology, NASA Astrobiology Institute and American Philosophical Society.
2009: European Intensive Seminars on Petrology Graduate Student Grant, Granada, Spain.
2008: Founders Award of Excellence, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
2008: Award of Excellence, Graduate Research Colloquium, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
2008: European Intensive Seminars on Petrology Graduate Student Grant, ANU, Canberra Australia.
2006: Shell Departmental ExComm Graduate Student Grant, Univ. Colorado
2005: NASA Astrobiology Institute Student Research Scholarship
2005: NASA Exobiology Principal Investigator's Symposium Travel Grant
2005: George L. Snyder Memorial Grant, Colorado Scientific Society
2005: Jeffrey A. Deen Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduate Students, Univ. Colorado
2004, 2005: Graduate Student Travel Grant, Univ. Colorado
2004-2006: Alfred P. Sloan Fellow
2003-2004: Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Grant, Univ. Colorado
Summer 2003: Arkansas-Oklahoma Space and Planetary Sciences NSF REU Grant
2001-2002: Timmerhaus Engineering Scholarship, Univ. Colorado
2001-2002: NSF Engineering and Science Scholarship, Univ. Colorado
2000-2001: J.R. Ronald Scholarship, Univ. Colorado

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