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Joseph Gonzalez

Curator of Mineralogy
518-474-1432

B.S. Geology, University of Wyoming (2015)
B.S. Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming (2015)
PhD. Earth Sciences, Syracuse University (2019)
NSF EAR Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pavia (2021-2022)
Postdoctoral Fellow, WiscSIMS, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2023-2024)

My research centers on deciphering the formation conditions of igneous and metamorphic rocks through Earth's history. I use an integrated approach, combining mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical techniques to unravel the depth-temperature-time-composition histories of mineral and melt phases, with a particular focus on regions such as the Adirondacks.

In addition to fieldwork and analysis, I prioritize methods development and experimental petrology. Currently, I am advancing new tools in petrology and mineralogy to refine our understanding of geological processes. My long-term goal is to apply these innovations to shed new light on the tectonic and metamorphic evolution of the Adirondacks during the Grenville orogeny (~1 billion years ago).

As Curator of Mineralogy at the New York State Museum, I manage and preserve the rock and mineral collections, which serve as critical records of New York’s geological and cultural heritage.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of my work, I welcome inquiries about potential research collaborations both within and beyond New York State.

Publications

2014

A. Kozlowski, R. Feranec, D. Franzi 2014, A New Record of Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida) from the Late Pleistocene Champlain Sea and Comments on Its Age and Paleoenvironment, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34, 230-235. 10.1080/02724634.2013.784706

2013

R. Feranec, N. Famoso, E. Davis 2013, Occlusal Enamel Complexity and Its Implications for Lophodonty, Hypsodony, Body Mass, and Diet in Extinct and Extant Ungulates, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 387, 211-216. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.07.006
R. Feranec, D. Pagnac 2013, Stable Carbon Isotope Evidence for the Abundance of C4 Plants in the Middle Miocene of Southern California, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 388, 42-47. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.07.022

2012

A. Kozlowski, R. Feranec 2012, New AMS Radiocarbon Dates from Late Pleistocene Mastodons and Mammoths in New York State, USA, Radiocarbon 54, 275-279. 10.2458/azu_js_rc.v54i2.16009

2011

R. Feranec 2011, Global Problems., Global Research. Legacy: The Magazine of the New York State Museum 6, 14-15
Hart, J., Anderson, L., Feranec, R., 2011. Additional Evidence for cal. Seventh-Century A.D. Maize Consumption at the Kipp Island Site, New York, in: Rieth, C., Hart, J. (Eds.), Current Research in New York State Archaeology: A.D. 700-1300. The University of the State of New York, Albany, New York, pp. 27-40.
R. Kays, R. Feranec 2011, Using Stable Carbon Isotopes to Distinguish Wild from Captive Wolves, Northeast Naturalist 18, 253-264. 10.1656/045.018.0301
N. Miller, R. Feranec, J. Lothrop, R. Graham 2011, The Sporormiella proxy and End-Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinction: A Perspective, Quaternary International 245, 333-338. 10.1016/j.quaint.2011.06.004

2010

R. Feranec, N. Garcia, J. Arsuaga, J. Diez 2010, Understanding the Ecology of Mammalian Carnivorans and Herbivores from Valdegoba Cave (Burgos, Northern Spain) Through Stable Isotope Analysis, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 297, 263-272. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.08.006
R. Feranec, E. Hadly, A. Paytan 2010, Isotopes Reveal Limited Effects of Middle Pleistocene Climate Change on the Ecology of Mid-sized Mammals, Quaternary International 217, 43-52. 10.1016/j.quaint.2009.07.018