MORGAN IRONS
Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2017
Duke University, BS, Environmental Science and Biology ‘17
Cornell University, PhD, Soil and Crop Sciences ‘23
Host Institution: Avascent
Mentor: Jenn Gustetic
Morgan is a Soil and Crop Sciences Ph.D. student in the Lehmann Lab at Cornell University. She is also a 2020 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, a 2019 Norfolk Institute Fellow, and the recipient of the 2019 Ken Souza Memorial Spaceflight Award from ASGSR. Her proposed dissertation focuses on microbial- and organo-mineral stabilization mechanisms in soil aggregates and their contribution to the persistence and long-term sequestration of soil organic matter and carbon for Earth and space systems. Outside of academia, Morgan is also the Founder and Chief Science Officer of Deep Space Ecology Inc. (DSE), a space and agricultural business startup working to solve the challenges of food security in the deep spaces of Earth and our solar system. Her work at DSE focuses on the research and development of “quasi-closed, agroecological systems” (Irons, 2018) for sustainable habitation in extreme environments and long-duration space missions.
Morgan first decided to pursue her passions for environmental science and space exploration while an undergraduate at Duke University. With the mentorship of three Duke graduate professors, she performed a literature review and analysis on the history of closed ecological systems for space habitation and developed and executed a large-scale, greenhouse experiment based on her findings. The greenhouse experiment was a simulated, Mars agricultural field system that used 2,000 lbs. of Mars regolith simulant, a set combination of soil treatments, and a biodiversity of plants and microorganisms. The goal of the experiment was to gain fundamental and applicational knowledge of how biogeochemical cycles and processes develop over time from degraded soil conditions. Her research led to the completion of a double honors thesis, titled “The Development of Ecological and Environmental Mechanisms in Sterilized Mars Regolith Simulant to Drive Primary Succession in the Establishment of a Closed Ecological System on Mars” and the awarding of a patent (Patent Number: 9970208) titled “Ecological system model for a self-sustaining and resilient human habitation on the Moon and Mars and food security and climate change mitigation anywhere on Earth.”
In her third year at Duke University, Morgan co-founded her company, Deep Space Ecology Inc., with her father. She also started the volunteer position of Vice-Chair on the Student Space Ambassador Leadership Program Advisory Board for The Mars Generation. Morgan graduated from Duke University in the spring of 2017 with Bachelor of Science degrees in environmental science and biology, a minor in chemistry, and completion for the Duke pre-medicine track. Since graduating from Duke, Morgan has presented her research and the work of her company at twenty-two national and international conferences and colloquia has been a guest on nine podcasts and has been featured in news articles and as a Person of the Year with VICE Motherboard. She has also received invitations to attend workshops as a subject matter expert at various institutions, such as at the StarHab Workshop held by NASA Centennial Challenges at Kennedy Space Center.
As a 2017 Brooke Owens Fellow, Morgan worked at Avascent, performing market, technology, and provider landscape analyses in the small satellite industry, and presenting oral and written executive briefs to clients and Avascent’s CEO. In 2018 and 2019, she was a Brookie Alumna Mentor and a writer (’18) and co-advisor (’19) for the annual Grand Challenge event held at the BOFP Summit. Morgan will continue as a co-advisor for the Grand Challenge event for the 2020 Summit.
When she is not in the lab or working on her company, Morgan is participating in outreach events and mentoring students through the organizations Skype A Scientist, The Mars Generation, Cornell’s Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Cornell’s LGBTQIA+ group QGrads, Cornell’s Graduate Women in Science, and the Cornell Biogeochemistry, Environmental Science, and Sustainability Graduate Student Association. For fun, Morgan enjoys hiking, painting, contradancing, reading, baking, gardening, exercising, and practicing the Chen Old Form of Taijiquan.