Angelina Serafini receives 2026 Dwornik Award for Best Graduate Poster Presentation
EAPS graduate student Angelina Serafini received the Dwornik Award for Best Graduate Poster Presentation at this year's Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Image courtesy Angelina Serafini
In addition to her poster presentation, Serafini also gave a talk during the 57th annual LPSC, which brings together international scientists to showcase the latest science, research, and discoveries in the field. Image courtesy Angelina Serafini
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science (EAPS) graduate student Angelina Serafini was awarded the 2026 Stephen E. Dwornik Planetary Geoscience Best Graduate Poster Presentation Award at the 57th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC). The Dwornik Awards recognize the best undergraduate and graduate oral and poster presentations given at the conference, which took place as a hybrid event in March in Texas.
“I’m very grateful that my work was recognized, and it’s really encouraging as I continue my PhD,” says Serafini. “This was my first LPSC, and I had an amazing experience learning from so many talented scientists and talking with people about my research during my poster session.”
Serafini’s poster, “Paleomagnetic Records in Apollo 17 Volcanic Glass Spherules” focuses on the moon’s ancient magnetic field. Using a high-resolution magnetic microscope, she analyzed the individual glass spherules in volcanic glass collected during the Apollo 17 missions. Her research provides new constraints on the strength of the lunar magnetic field around 3.6 billion years ago.
“I’m also very thankful for the support and guidance I’ve received from my mentors in the EAPS Department,” she says.
The Dwornik award was started in 1991 to encourage US students to become involved with NASA and planetary science. It is managed and judged by the Planetary Geology division of the Geological Society of America. Stephen E. Dwornik served as the Chief of Planetology and later the Chief of Planetary Geology during his time at NASA and has long supported programs and grants focused on planetary research.
The award comes with a cash prize and a plaque, and Serafini will be honored at the 58th annual conference in 2027.
