NASA Arizona Space Grant Alumna Joins LPI as Postdoctoral Fellow
We are excited to introduce our newest postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Allison McGraw, who recently joined the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). Dr. McGraw is a planetary scientist whose research bridges the gap between meteorites and their asteroid sources. Her work centers on understanding the mineralogy and spectral characteristics of ordinary chondrites—the most common type of meteorite—and how they link back to specific asteroid families. Through laboratory spectroscopy and mineral analyses, Dr. McGraw aims to improve our understanding of the processes that shape asteroid surfaces and the evolution of planetary materials across the solar system.
Read our interview with Dr. McGraw below to learn more about her path to planetary science and her current research.
LPI: How did you become interested in planetary science?
AM: My interest in planetary science comes from a lifelong love of rocks combined with a deep curiosity about the sky. When I was about eight years old, I got a dirt bike, and it opened a whole new geological world. Riding through the southwestern U.S., I started noticing the vastness of the landscape—mountain ranges, rock layers, and the immense scale of it all. I remember trying to dig out a cool rock I found, and my dad told me, “That rock might be the size of a house—you’ll be digging for a while.” That was my first real moment of appreciating Earth as a giant, powerful rock. And although I don’t remember it, my parents flew me over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter when I was a baby. I like to think that early view may have planted a subconscious seed for my love of rocks and planetary landscapes.
LPI: When did you know that you wanted to pursue this as a career?
AM: I was stargazing one night in my father’s backyard when I realized I didn’t just want to admire the night sky—I wanted to understand it. I decided right then that I wanted to study planetary science. The very next morning, my dad helped me enroll in community college, starting with an algebra class. I was managing full-time work as a store manager while taking courses in math, physics, astronomy, and geology until I transferred to the University of Arizona. I got deeply involved in planetary research there—building digital terrain models for the Mars HiRISE instrument was a turning point. The beauty and detail in planetary data hooked me completely. Later, I was selected as an Arizona NASA Space Grant undergraduate researcher, which connected me with a mentor who encouraged me to pursue graduate school. That support changed everything.
Read the full article on: lpi.usra.edu
Image Credit: LPI
Author Credit: LPI
Original Post Date: 5.12.25