Justin Hagerty, Ph.D.
Justin Hagerty is the director of the U.S. Geological Survey, New Mexico Water Science Center. He manages ~70 employees including civil service and contractors.
Justin currently serves as the director of the New Mexico Water Science Center. In addition to managing the center, Justin also has research experience in lunar geochemistry with special emphasis on thorium as a tracer of lunar petrologic evolution. Justin also has experience with combining sample and remote sensing methods to understand the surficial evolution of solid bodies in the solar system.
Professional Experience
Director, New Mexico Water Science Center, 2024 - Present
Astrogeology Science Center Director, 2018 - 2024
Assistant Science Center Director, USGS, Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ- October 2015 - July 2018
Assistant Program Coordinator, USGS National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) - October 2013 - September 2016
Research Geologist, April 2007 - Present
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (David Lawrence, advisor), 2004 - 2007
Graduate research assistant and lab technician in the secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) laboratory (Charles Shearer, advisor), The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 2001 - 2004
Graduate research assistant and educational outreach assistant (Horton Newsom, advisor), The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1998 - 2001
Education and Certifications
B.S., Earth and Planetary Sciences, with Honors, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1998
M.S., Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 2001
Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 2004
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
Geochemical Society
Honors and Awards
NASA Group Achievement Award for Desert RATS Science, 2010
USGS STAR Award, 2008, 2009 (2 awards), 2010 (2 awards), 2011 (2 awards)
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, 2012
USGS Performance Award, 2010, 2011
Sagan-Haskin Early Career Fellowship, 2006 - 2009
New Mexico Space Grant Fellowship, 1999 - 2001 and 2003 - 2004
Sigma Xi Superior Undergraduate Student Award, 1998
UNM, Earth and Planetary Sciences Outstanding Junior Award, 1997
UNM, Earth and Planetary Sciences Outstanding Senior Award, 1998
University of New Mexico Scholars Scholarship, 1993 - 1997
Abstracts and Presentations
“Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure (PSDI): Why We Need It” June, 2017 3rd Planetary Data Workshop
“Flynn Creek Impact Crater: Petrographic and SEM Analyses of Drill Cores from the Central Uplift” March 2017, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
“The NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility (RPIF) Network: A globally distributed resource for the planetary science community” March 2016, 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
“Combining sample analysis and numerical modeling to reconstruct the origin and evolution of Flynn Creek crater, Tennessee: Year 1 Status Report” July 2015, 6th Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting.
“Compositional and morphologic mapping of the Copernicus quadrangle, the Moon: Year 3 Status” June 2015, Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting.
“Compositional and morphologic mapping of the Copernicus quadrangle, the Moon: New constraints on regional lithologic complexity” March 2015, 46th LPSC
“The dark side of the Moon: Why does the Moon look the way it does?” May 2014, Science on Tap, Flagstaff public lecture series
“Geologic mapping of the Copernicus lunar quadrangle: Determining the source of the geochemical anomaly at Timocharis crater, November, 2013, GSA Annual Meeting.
“Integrating lunar sample and remote sensing data to understand the asymmetry of the Moon,” October, 2013, Museum of Northern Arizona Science Cafe
“Current models of lunar formation,” May, 2013, Lowell Observatory Colloquia
"Combining compositional and morphologic data to map the Copernicus lunar quadrangle: A case study for new methods in lunar geologic mapping,” November, 2012, GSA Annual Meeting
“Integrating lunar sample and remote sensing data to understand the asymmetry of the Moon,” October 2012, Lowell Observatory Colloquia
“Integrating lunar sample and remote sensing data to understand the asymmetry of the Moon,” October 2012, USGS 2012 Awards Ceremony
“The NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility Network,” Planetary Data Workshop, Northern Arizona University, June, 2012
“The NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility Network,” Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting, USGS Flagstaff Science Center, June, 2012.
“The USGS Meteor Crater Sample Collection,” Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability, November, 2011
"Combining sample and remote sensing data: An integrated approach to lunar science,” Northern Arizona University, School of Earth Science and Environmental Sustainability, April, 2011
Thorium abundances of basalt ponds in South Pole-Aitken basin: Insights into the composition and evolution of the far side lunar mantle,” 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, The Woodlands, TX, March 2011
"Addressing lunar science questions through data integration,” NASA Johnson Space Center Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate, February, 2011
"Combining sample and remote sensing data: An integrated approach to lunar science,” NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate, July, 2009
"Integrating lunar sample data with Lunar Prospector thorium data: Insights into the thermal and magmatic evolution of the Moon,” 19th V.M. Goldschmidt Conference, Davos, Switzerland, June, 2009
"New estimates of thorium abundances for the Rima Bode pyroclastic glass deposit,” 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, The Woodlands, Texas, March, 2009
“Thorium abundances on the Aristarchus Plateau: Insights into the composition of the Aristarchus pyroclastic glass deposits,” 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, League City, TX, March, 2008
“Dust monitoring on the MER rovers,” MER team meeting, Washington D.C., February, 2008
"Hydrothermal alteration at the Lonar Lake impact structure: Implications for impact cratering on Mars," Invited talk at Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, January, 2007.
"Forward modeling of thorium data from the Lunar Prospector gamma ray spectrometer: Insights into the lunar crust and mantle," Invited talk at U.S.G.S Astrogeology Research Program, Flagstaff, Arizona, November, 2006.
"Forward modeling of thorium data from the Lunar Prospector gamma ray spectrometer," Invited talk at Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, November, 2006.
"Heat producing elements in the lunar mantle: Insights from ion microprobe analyses of lunar pyroclastic glasses," Invited colloquium at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, November, 2006.
"Understanding planetary processes through a global study of the Moon.s surface composition," 2006 Los Alamos National Laboratory Postdoctoral Symposium, Los Alamos, NM, August, 2006.
"Hydrogen abundances at the lunar poles as measured with Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer data," American Association of Petroleum Geologists 2006 Annual Meeting, Houston, TX, April, 2006.
"Estimating thorium abundances of basalt ponds in South Pole-Aitken Basin: Implications for the composition of the farside lunar mantle," 37th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, March, 2006.
"Thorium abundances at lunar red spots: Implications for geochemically evolved, non-mare volcanism on the Moon," 68th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, Gatlinburg, TN, September, 2005.
"Reasons for investigating the bulk composition of the Moon," Invited talk at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, United Kingdom, May, 2005.
"Forward modeling of thorium abundances at lunar red spots," Invited talk at University College, London, United Kingdom, May, 2005.
"Trace element behavior in ancient lunar basalts and volcanic glasses: Implications for the bulk composition of the Moon," Invited talk at Los Alamos National Laboratory (ISR-1 seminar), August, 2004.
"Thorium and samarium in the lunar mantle: Insights into the composition of the lunar mantle and basaltic magmatism on the Moon," 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, March, 2004.
"Trace element characteristics of minerals in the Apollo 14 high-Al basalts: Implications for an igneous versus an impact origin," 34th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, March, 2003.
"New evidence for hydrothermal alteration at the Lonar Lake Impact Structure: Implications for impact cratering on Mars," 32nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, March, 2001.
Science and Products
Assessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022
The U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center
Towards a planetary spatial data infrastructure
Feasibility study for the quantitative assessment of mineral resources in asteroids
Transformations to granular zircon revealed: Twinning, reidite, and ZrO2 in shocked zircon from Meteor Crater (Arizona, USA)
Silicic lunar volcanism: Testing the crustal melting model
Surveying the South Pole-Aitken basin magnetic anomaly for remnant impactor metallic iron
Remote detection of magmatic water in Bullialdus crater on the Moon
The Mairan domes: silicic volcanic constructs on the Moon
Hyperspectral analysis of rocky surfaces on the Earth and other planetary systems: Chapter 27
Thorium abundances of basalt ponds in South Pole-Aitken basin: Insights into the composition and evolution of the far side lunar mantle
Thorium abundances on the Aristarchus plateau: Insights into the composition of the Aristarchus pyroclastic glass deposits
Geochemistry and High-Resolution Backscattered Electron Imaging of Meteor Crater Impact Melts
Meteor Crater, Northern Arizona: Drill Hole Sample Collection, 1970-1973, and Curation, 2010-2013
A Lithostratigraphic Analysis of the Meteor Crater Ejecta Blanket: Measurements, Assigned Facies, and Unit Thickness
Sedimentological and petrographic analysis of drill core FC77-1 from the flank of the central uplift, Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee
Science and Products
Assessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022
The U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center
Towards a planetary spatial data infrastructure
Feasibility study for the quantitative assessment of mineral resources in asteroids
Transformations to granular zircon revealed: Twinning, reidite, and ZrO2 in shocked zircon from Meteor Crater (Arizona, USA)
Silicic lunar volcanism: Testing the crustal melting model
Surveying the South Pole-Aitken basin magnetic anomaly for remnant impactor metallic iron
Remote detection of magmatic water in Bullialdus crater on the Moon
The Mairan domes: silicic volcanic constructs on the Moon
Hyperspectral analysis of rocky surfaces on the Earth and other planetary systems: Chapter 27
Thorium abundances of basalt ponds in South Pole-Aitken basin: Insights into the composition and evolution of the far side lunar mantle
Thorium abundances on the Aristarchus plateau: Insights into the composition of the Aristarchus pyroclastic glass deposits
Geochemistry and High-Resolution Backscattered Electron Imaging of Meteor Crater Impact Melts
Meteor Crater, Northern Arizona: Drill Hole Sample Collection, 1970-1973, and Curation, 2010-2013
A Lithostratigraphic Analysis of the Meteor Crater Ejecta Blanket: Measurements, Assigned Facies, and Unit Thickness
Sedimentological and petrographic analysis of drill core FC77-1 from the flank of the central uplift, Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government