Daniele Cherniak is an American geochemist known for her work on using

particle beam A particle beam is a stream of charged particle, charged or neutral particles other than photons. In Particle accelerator, particle accelerators, these particles can move with a velocity close to the speed of light. There is a difference between ...

s for geochemical analysis on small scales. She was elected a fellow of the

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...

in 2021.

Education and career

Cherniak grew up in

Cohoes, New York Cohoes ( ) is an incorporated city located in the northeast corner of Albany County in the U.S. state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile manufacturing to its growth in the 19th century. The city's ...

and went to Keveny Memorial Academy. In 1983, Cherniak received her undergraduate degree from

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

and went on to earn her Ph.D. in physics at the

University at Albany, SUNY The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a Public university, public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the St ...

in 1990. As of 2021, she is a research professor at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (; RPI) is a private university, private research university in Troy, New York, United States. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. It was establishe ...

and works at the Ion Beam Lab at the

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a Public university, public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the St ...

Research

Cherniak is known for her research on rock-forming minerals, specifically on atomic diffusion in these minerals. She established the use of

ion implantation Ion implantation is a low-temperature process by which ions of one element are accelerated into a solid target, thereby changing the target's physical, chemical, or electrical properties. Ion implantation is used in semiconductor device fabrica ...

to place lead into minerals followed by the use of

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) is an analytical technique used in materials science. Sometimes referred to as high-energy ion scattering (HEIS) spectrometry, RBS is used to determine the structure and composition of materials by meas ...

to obtain diffusion profiles, which she first applied to measurements in

apatite Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of Hydroxide, OH−, Fluoride, F− and Chloride, Cl− ion, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of ...

and

zircon Zircon () is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. Its chemical name is zirconium(IV) silicate, and its corresponding chemical formula is Zr SiO4. An empirical formula showing some of th ...

, and has subsequently applied to other minerals. She has also examined the diffusion of

rare-earth element The rare-earth elements (REE), also called the rare-earth metals or rare earths, and sometimes the lanthanides or lanthanoids (although scandium and yttrium, which do not belong to this series, are usually included as rare earths), are a set o ...

s, tetravalent cations, and oxygen into zircon. Her work on argon showed that the degassing of Earth is slower than expected. Much of her work is collaborative projects with E. Bruce Watson. In 2020, she began a project working with scientists Union College on a study of radioactive decay which will improve both disposal of nuclear waste and increase precision of dating material that is billions of years old.

Selected publications

* * * * *

Awards and honors

* Fellow,

Geochemical Society The Geochemical Society is a nonprofit scientific organization founded to encourage the application of chemistry to solve problems involving geology and cosmology. The society promotes understanding of geochemistry through the annual Goldschmidt Co ...

(2010) * Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2021) * Walt Westman Award,

National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Out to Innovate, previously known as the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP), is a professional society for professionals in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Each year, Out to I ...

(2021)

Personal life

Cherniak started running cross country while in high school and continued to run while at Union College. Cherniak runs in

ultramarathon An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of . The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the ...

s and has earned team bronze medals in 1998 and 2000 in the

IAU 100 km World Championships The IAU 100 km World Championships have been held annually since 1987, at different locations, and is organized by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU). Due to lack of sponsorship, the 2013 event, planned for Jeju Island, South ...

. Her local running club, Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club, elected her to their hall of fame for her running accomplishments, the first woman to receive this honor. Cherniak also volunteers for the Spindle City Historic Society in Cohoes, New York and has been recognized for her work in historic preservation in the area, especially in the restoration of parts of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

References

External links

* , August 15, 2021, interview {{DEFAULTSORT:Cherniak, Daniele Fellows of the American Geophysical Union Living people University at Albany, SUNY alumni Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty American female ultramarathon runners American women physicists American physicists American geochemists 1961 births American LGBTQ scientists 20th-century American sportswomen