Welcome to my research website! My name is Nancy A. Carman and I'm a MS student with the Hausrath Lab in the Geoscience Department at UNLV!  My research interests are in Mars geochemistry and astrobiology with emphasis in laboratory synthesis and X-ray spectroscopy (i.e. XRD, micro-XRF).

     I'm working on assessing possible signatures of organic preservation potential by examining MSL Curiosity's data set, a terrestrial analog to playa surfaces with salt & Mg-clay minerals under alkaline conditions, and doing lab-simulated hydrothermal vent chimneys that precipitate hydrothermal saponite. 

I'm also a Participating Return Sample Scientist for the Mars 2020, Perseverance rover.