Soil Mineralogy Division

Welcome! You can get involved with the Soil Mineralogy Division on the Discussion Board. On this page you'll find award information and additional links of interest.

Joe B. and Martha Dixon Soil Mineralogy Awards

To honor Dr. Joe Dixon and his contributions to the discipline of soil mineralogy and his distinguished career, this division has established the Joe B. and Martha J. Dixon Soil Mineralogy Endowment. The fund supports two competitive graduate student awards on topics central to soil mineralogy at the SSSA Annual Meeting.

The first Dixon award will recognize the top three Soil Mineralogy Division graduate student presentations at the Annual Meetings. All graduate students presenting an oral or poster paper in the Soil Mineralogy Division are eligible. Selection will be based on quality of presentation and contribution of research to advancing the state of knowledge of soil mineralogy. Papers submitted to any other Division than the Soil Mineralogy Division are not eligible for the Dixon Award. The first, second and third place awards and checks for $750, $250, and $100, respectively, are issued following the annual meetings.  

The second Dixon Award is a travel grant for $750 to assist a student studying soil mineralogy in attending the annual meeting. To apply for this award, the student must be enrolled in a graduate program and studying some aspect of soil mineralogy. Preference for this award is also given to students from Latin America and South America to encourage the development of research collaborations between scientists from the United States and these areas. Dr. Dixon has worked extensively in these areas during his career and developed many collaborative research partnerships. While students from Latin and South America are given special consideration, students working in the United States and elsewhere in the world are encouraged to apply. This award and check for $750 are issued following the annual meeting.

Eligibility Requirements for Both Awards

• Applicant must be a current member of SSSA and must have selected the SSSA Mineralogy Division as one area of choice
• Applicant must be first author presenting an oral or poster paper
• Applicant must pay his/her own pre-registration fee. The student receiving a travel grant can be reimbursed for the pre-registration fee from the award
• Applicant who receives a travel grant will be notified within about one month of the deadline for receipt of applications
• Travel grant award will be presented after the meetings
• Previous student travel grant recipients are ineligible for further awards

Travel Grant Application
To apply for the travel grant, download the PDF application and attach a copy of your abstract and a statement of financial need or other circumstances that will help the committee make a decision on awarding the Student Travel Grant. Grant Application

Contributions to the Dixon endowment can be made through the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF). Those wishing to contribute can do so by contacting Send Message.

2023 Award Winners

Presentation Award Winners
1. Ashleigh Montgomery, University of Delaware, Targeting the Destabilization of Organic Matter-Bearing Fe and Mn Oxides Using IRIS Films in Coastal Forests Affected By Sea-Level Rise.
2. Jocelyn Wardrup, University of Maryland, Documenting Manganese Oxide Mineralogy of Soil Redoximorphic Features Using Raman Spectroscopy.
3. Tiffany Legg, University of Oklahoma, Soil Inorganic Carbon Response to Short-Term Precipitation Variability: Evidence from a Global Drought Manipulation Experiment.

Travel Grant Winner
Binaya Parajuli, Clemson University, Cover Crop Biomass Production, Decomposition and C/N Efflux in Clay-Amended Sandy Soils.

2010 Award Winners

Presentation Award Winner
Roberta J. McClure, Texas A&M University, Mineralogical Changes and Heavy Metal Release During Oxidation of Arsenic–Containing Sulfide Mine Tailings in Zimapan, Mexico.

Travel Grant Winner
Ana L. Barrientos Velazquez, Texas A&M University, Texas Bentonites as An Amendment of Aflatoxins in Poultry Feed.