Hi Geoscience
My name is Rikke Brok Jensen. I am the new laboratory technician from 1 May. Before this position I worked at Department of Bioscience, Center for Geomicrobiology, AU, making water and sediment analysis, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and isotope work. Prior to this I have worked at other AU departments: Public Health, Section for Sport Science, and Biomedicine. Most of this work was tissue and blood samples, mammalian cells and their biochemistry. Having trained at Novo Nordisk A/S I graduated in 2008 from the Laboratory school in Aarhus. I also have a bachelor in biology from AU.  I live in Hasselager, Aarhus, with my husband Michael and our children Signe 5 years and Lasse 2 yers. I look forward to working with you.

Jan Danisch, new PhD student from 1 May 2016
Born and raised in the Ruhr-distriktet in western Germany, I developed an early love for Pizza and the colour green. I subsequently stayed there, in Bochum, for my studies of Geoscience. In my bachelor thesis I investigated the spatio-temporal evolution of a Miocene mixed volcanoclastic-carbonate deposit of south-eastern Spain and continued my Master in sediment- and isotope geology / palaeontology. My master thesis was then later about a giant carbonate bioconstruction of the lower Jurassic located in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. With field-work, carbon isotope and extensive microfacies analyses, I was able to put the evolution of this bioconstruction into a in a global context of evolving climate, sea-level and carbon cycle. In my PhD thesis with the help of my supervisor Stephane Bodin, I will further explore environmental changes of lower and middle Jurassic timeframes and its impact on shallow and deep neritic carbonate factories. This is based also in the High Atlas of Morocco, where I will do extensive field work combined with chemostratigraphy, microfacies and trace element / phosphorous analyses. I am very much honored and thrilled to be here in Aarhus and hope to have a great and successful time!

PhD award to geologist
Anders Damsgaard, PhD from Department of Geoscience in 2015, has been awarded the Aarhus University Research Foundation PhD award.
Unfortunately, Anders could not be present at the award ceremony taking place at AU on 25 May, as after he is now employed in a postdoctoral position at the University of California, San Diego.

On initiative of the Local Focal Point (LFP) from Aarhus University (AU), Gülnur Dogan and LFP from Aalborg University (AAU), Jens Muff, a group of scientists and students from the Department of Geoscience, on 17 May, visited AAU’s premises in Esbjerg, where focus is on engineering in energy and chemistry. The purpose was to be better acquainted and explore possibilities for cooperation in research and education with relevance to the Danish Hydrocarbon Research and Technology Centre. The program of the day included short presentations, visit to laboratories, a harbor cruise and inspection of wind turbines and oil rigs.
A fruitful visit where many options and ideas were discussed, including organization of a joint Summer School in 2017.

New instrument
For quick element determination (eg during field work), we now have a handheld XRF instrument: Bruker S1 Titan 800th
Due to the applied X-ray technology, it is required that all users MUST be certified to handle the instrument properly. The certificate is your proof that you have been trained in the two key topics:
1) Handling of the instrument and 2) general X-ray security.

Contact Charlotte charlotte.rasmussen@geo.au.dk to book the instrument and be certified.

Exercise Equipment for staff
Some exercise equipment is now available at Geoscience, free to use for staff. (photo).
It is stored in room 1672-114, but if you want to use it elsewhere, feel free to take it with you (but don’t forget to return!). We also have 2 Steppies.