Cole Messa
Center for Economic Geology Research
Assistant Research Professional
Dr. Cole Messa is an Assistant Research Professional in the Center for Economic Geology Research at the School of Energy Resources.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences from Penn State, he came to Wyoming to earn his Ph.D. in Geology.
Messa’s doctoral research utilized isotope geochemistry to determine the formation and evolution of basaltic lava flows. His work mainly focused on the Yellowstone super volcano and the Henry’s Fork caldera of the Yellowstone plateau volcanic field in the hopes of understanding the role played by basaltic lavas in super-eruptive cycles and producing an improved volcanic history of the region. His work led to his selection as a Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year.
He also studied the Mid Atlantic Ridge alongside Ken Sims, a professor in UW’s Department of Geology and Geophysics and his doctoral advisor.
Throughout his studies in geochemistry, Messa cultivated a talent and expertise for identifying trace elements, including critical minerals (CM) and rare earth elements (REE).
