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Manuela Botero

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Manuela Botero

GS 532

+1 (520) 621-6000
boterom@arizona.edu
Pronouns:
She/Her/Hers

Documents

Manuela's CV

I was born and raised in Colombia where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Geological engineering and master's degree in Engineering-Mineral Resources at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Following my master's studies, I was awarded (2019) with a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a doctoral degree in the USA where I started my Ph.D. in the Fall of 2020 at WSU with Dr. Jeff Vervoort. For my doctoral research I used an integrated U-Pb, Lu-Hf, and Sm-Nd approach in various accessory minerals to investigate the geological record of Precambrian terranes such as the Zimbabwe and Sǎo Francisco cratons and the Lofoten-Vesterålen area in Norway.


Currently I am a postdoc associate working with Mauricio Ibañez-Mejia at the LaserChron center and the Arizona Heavy Isotopes Laboratory (AHIL) at the University of Arizona. My postdoctoral research focuses on investigating meteorites and komatiites through long- and short-lived (i.e. Zr-Nb) isotope systems to better understand mantle differentiation and planetary evolution.


Beyond academia, in my free-time I like to do outdoor activities including hiking and mountain-biking... and as a former rugby player I really enjoyed watching Rugby!

Research Interests

I am interested in the evolution of the crust-mantle system in the early Earth. I integrate geochronological and isotopic techniques to investigate complex geological record of ancient terranes that preserve crucial information about the Earth's early history. In addition to his, I am currently studying meteorites using short- and long-lived isotope systems to better understand evolution of planetary systems.

Awards and Recognitions
  • Ten Outstanding Young Persons 2025 regional section. Awardee in leadership and academic achievements.
  • College of Arts and Sciences Doctorate Student Achievement Award - in the Sciences, 2025.
  • Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher/Research Assistant Award, 2024.
  • Fulbright-Minciencias scholarship, 2019