Biography
Tabb Prissel is a lunar and planetary petrologist within the Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science (ARES) Division at the Johnson Space Center. Dr. Prissel's research focuses on the large-scale magmatic evolution of the rocky planets, moons, and differentiated asteroids. He employs an integrative approach to research by combining experimental petrology with orbital remote sensing, natural sample analysis, and geochemical models. Prissel developed a passion for experimental and analytical petrology pursuing his B.Sc. degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead. His interests in planetary geology led him to a geophysics internship at the NASA Ames Research Center working with the Martian and Titan wind tunnels. This path then propelled Prissel into the Ph.D. program at Brown University, after which he was awarded the Gordon McKay Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Lunar & Planetary Institute.
Prissel is also enthusiastic about teaching and mentoring. He strives to promote friendly, safe, and thought-provoking environments in the classroom and laboratory. Prissel firmly believes (1) that geologists are storytellers and (2) questions are good. In this way, he emphasizes conceptual- and inquiry-based experiments and activities to engage students and empower exploration. Prissel also believes in presenting discussion topics in a manner that allows advisor and advisee to become colleagues in discovery. If you have any questions about graduate school, internships, postdoctoral research opportunities, or any of the research Prissel is involved with, please do get in touch!
Education
Ph.D., Geological Sciences, 2015
Brown University
M.Sc., Geological Sciences, 2013
Brown University
B.Sc. Summa Cum Laude, Geosciences: emphasis in Geology, minor in astronomy, 2009
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Select Publications
Stadermann, A.C., Barnes, J.J., Erickson, T.M.,
Prissel, T.C.,, and Michels, Z.D. (2023).
Evidence for extrusive Mg-suite magmatism on the Moon? Fine-grained magnesian clasts in an Apollo 16 impact melt breccia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, e2022JE007728.
McCubbin, F.M., Lewis, J.A., Barnes, J.J., ...
Prissel, T.C., et al. (2023).
On the origin of fluorine-poor apatite in chondrite parent bodies. American Mineralogist, 108, 1185-1200.
Goodrich, C.A., Collinet, M., Treiman, A.,
Prissel, T.C., Patzek, M., Ebert, S., Jercinovic, M.J., Bischoff, A., Pack, A., Barrat, J.A., Decker, S. (2022).
The first main group ureilite with primary plagioclase: A missing link in the differentiation of the ureilite parent body. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 57, 1589-1616.
Gross, J., Hilton, A.,
Prissel, T.C., Setera, J.B., Korotev, R.L. ,Calzada-Diaz, A. (2020).
Geochemistry & Petrogenesis of Northwest Africa 10401: A new type of the Mg-suite rocks. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, e2019JE006225.
Williams, K.B., Jackson, C.R.M., Cheek, L.C., Donaldson-Hanna, K.L., Parman, S.W., Pieters, C.M., Dyar, M.D.,
Prissel, T.C. (2016).
Reflectance spectroscopy of chromium-bearing spinel with application to recent orbital data from the Moon. American Mineralogist, 101, 726-734.
Pieters, C.M., Donaldson-Hanna, K., Cheek, L., Dhingra, D.,
Prissel, T., Jackson, C., Moriarty, D., Parman, S., Taylor, L.A. (2014).
The distribution of Mg-spinel across the Moon and constraints on crustal origin. American Mineralogist, 99, 1893-1910.
Prissel, T.C., Parman, S.W., Jackson, C.R.M., Rutherford, M.J., Hess, P.C., Head, J.W., Cheek, L., Dhingra, D., Pieters, C.M. (2014).
Pink Moon: The petrogenesis of pink spinel anorthosite and implications concerning Mg-suite magmatism. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 403, 144-156.