PhD Candidate at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Petrotectonic solutions for the past and future
Global progression toward development and implementation of low-CO2 technologies–such as electric vehicles, storage batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels–will be correlative with the supply of critical minerals like lithium, copper, and rare earth elements. The supplies for many of these critical minerals are dominated by deposits found within past and present convergent margins.
My research integrates field and petrologic observations with geochemical microanalysis (SEM, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, and SIMS) and modeling to reconstruct tectonic, metamorphic, fluid, and mineralization histories within convergent margins from the Precambrian to the modern. In addition to providing direct constraints on critical mineral deposit formation, these tectonic reconstructions are used to better understand mechanisms for high temperature metamorphism and melt production in the continents, crystallization and modification of mineral geochronometers during metamorphism and fluid interaction, deep crustal fluid flow, the evolution of tectonics, and craton assembly.
I am currently a dissertator completing a PhD in Geoscience, distributed PhD minor in data science, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison working with Dr. Chloë Bonamici. Previously, I was a research assistant at Penn State University with Dr. Andrew Smye, completed an M.Sc in Geoscience (2022) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while co-advised by Dr. Chloë Bonamici and Dr. Annie Bauer, and completed a B.Sc. in Earth Science with a minor in Spatial Science (2020) at the University of California-Santa Barbara where I conducted a Senior Honors thesis advised by Dr. Roberta Rudnick.
Please look around my website and email me at droubi [at] wisc [dot] edu if you have any questions and/or would like to collaborate.
Kyanite quartzite in southwestern CA.
In an NSF-funded collaboration with Northern Arizona University, a large portion of my PhD research is investigating the conditions and drivers of fluid-driven metamorphism, metasomatism, and metal mineralization in southwestern USA associated with the Laramide orogeny.
Pegmatite wall zone with pink elbaite (Li-rich tourmaline) in WI.
One of my PhD projects explores the relationship between Precambrian tectonism, fluid-mediated metamorphism, and critical mineral formation by determining the emplacement history and source of lithium-rich pegmatites in northern Wisconsin.
Cartoon depicting final stage of Penokean Orogeny.
Part of my MS research used accessory phase petrochronology to improve models for gneiss dome formation in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan during the Penokean orogeny. I continue to research orogenesis in this region, specifically the tectonic style of these orogenies and their relationship to critical mineral formation.
I use context from textural and chemical microanalysis to inform U-Pb age interpretations from LA-ICP-MS data.
My MS research focused on the first application of titanite and apatite petrochronology to two Archean gneiss localities: the Watersmeet gneiss dome in Michigan (in prep for G-Cubed) and the Acasta Gneiss Complex in Canada (published in G-Cubed).
Figure depicting the potential of certain cations to substitute into titanite or apatite.
I engage in the development of microanalytical techniques aimed at measuring trace elements and isotopes in minerals, especially for the application of petrochronology (the combination of in situ geochronology and compositional microanalysis). Past research evaluating titanite and apatite reference materials and techniques relevant to petrochronology is published in Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research.
Figure showing Lu zoning in garnet from a Mexican lower crustal xenolith.
I use lower crustal xenoliths to constrain the past and present thermal state of the continental crust. I have worked on lower crustal xenoliths from Tanzania, Siberia, Montana, and Madagascar (Senior Honors Thesis) as an undergraduate research assistant at UC-Santa Barbara and on xenoliths from Mexico (results published in JGR: Solid Earth) as a researcher at Penn State.
Preliminary forecast of funding allocated toward grant abstracts with "volcanic eruptions" as a key term.
I am interested in a wide range of data science applications for the natural sciences. Currently, I am exploring the application of natural language processing (NLP)–a machine learning technology that gives computers the ability to interpret, manipulate, and comprehend human language–to public-facing awards databases through key term identification, trend forecasting, and visualization of collaboration networks.
Droubi, O. K., Bauer, A. M., Bonamici, C., Nachlas, W. O., Garber, J. M., Tappa, M. J., and Reimink, J. R. (2025). Eoarchean–Paleoproterozoic Tectonothermal History of the Acasta Gneiss Complex Constrained by Titanite and Apatite Petrochronology. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 26(7), e2025GC012294.
Droubi, O. K., Cipar, J. H., Smye, A. J., & Garber, J. M. (2024). Xenolith petrochronology (San Luis Potosi, Mexico) constrains heat sources for Cenozoic ultrahigh‐temperature metamorphism in the lower crust. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 129(8), e2024JB029138.
Droubi, O. K., Bauer, A. M., Bonamici, C., Nachlas, W. O., Tappa, M. J., Garber, J. M., & Reimink, J. R. (2023). U‐Th‐Pb and trace element evaluation of existing titanite and apatite LA‐ICP‐MS reference materials and determination of 208Pb/232Th‐206Pb/238U date discordance in Archaean accessory phases. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 47(2), 337-369.
Droubi, O. K. (2022) Multiphase Petrochronology of Archean Gneiss Complexes: Unraveling polymetamorphic records at the Acasta Gneiss Complex, Northwest Territories, Canada and the Watersmeet Gneiss Dome, MI, USA (Master’s thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Droubi, O. K. (2020). Origins and evolution of the lower crust beneath central Madagascar: Insights from granulite-facies xenoliths in rift basalts (Undergraduate Senior Honors thesis, University of California-Santa Barbara) [available upon request]
Experienced at instructing labs for introductory and advanced geoscience courses, mentoring undergraduate researchers, and educating students in the field. I strongly believe that reducing financial barriers along with the support of mentors, advocates, cohorts, and community leads to increasing student success. As a teacher and mentor, I value student participation in learning plan design, integrative pedagogy, active
learning, community building, and advocacy.
Teaching Assistant, GEO 370: Elementary Petrology; UW-Madison (Spring 2025)
Teaching Assistant, GEO 100: Introductory Geology: How The Earth Works; UW-Madison (Fall 2023)
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, EARTH 124IG: Introduction to Geochemistry; UCSB (Winter 2020)
100+ days of experience in the field as a leader, teacher, student, and assistant mapping, measuring structures, and sampling rocks for petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, and fabric analysis. I have done field work in many states in the USA (including the Grand Canyon), Madagascar, and Oman.
Undergraduate researchers prepping rock billets to be made into thin sections.
Senior thesis student conducting field research on granite emplacement in WI.
Big Maria Mountains, CA, USA (2024)
Watersmeet, MI, USA (2022)
WI, USA (2024)
Cemetery Ridge, AZ, USA (2024)
Grand Canyon, AZ USA (2023)
Grand Canyon, AZ, USA (2023)
North Cascades, WA, USA (2022)
Madagascar (2019)