Rate My Professor Katy Evans

Professor Katy Evans holds the position of Professor in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, at Curtin University. She completed her undergraduate studies and PhD at the University of Cambridge, earning her doctorate in 1999 on metamorphic fluid flow in East Central Vermont. Following her PhD, she conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Sheffield on kinetically-controlled mineral dissolution and precipitation in the unsaturated zone of mine spoil. In 2002, Evans joined CSIRO Exploration and Mining as a Research Fellow, where she investigated greenstone-hosted gold deposits and the thermodynamic characteristics of sulphur-bearing, high ionic strength, mixed solvent fluids. In 2005, she was awarded an Australian Synchrotron Research Fellowship hosted by the Australian National University, during which she performed experiments on S- and Cl-bearing silicate glasses and CO2-bearing solutions. Since 2007, she has been at Curtin University, advancing from Research and Teaching Fellow to ARC Future Fellow and full Professor. She currently serves as Facility Leader for the Curtin Experimental Geochemistry Facility in the John de Laeter Centre and as Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in her school. Evans coordinates and teaches modules on field geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and a masters-level unit on mineral deposits.

Evans specializes in metamorphic petrology and ore deposits, with research focusing on the roles of fluids and redox processes in subduction zones, serpentinization, deserpentinization, and the formation of gold and other ore deposits. Her highly cited publications include 'Role of CO2 in the formation of gold deposits' (Nature, 2004; 503 citations), 'The redox budget of subduction zones' (Earth-Science Reviews, 2012; 354 citations), 'Oxidation state of subarc mantle' (Geology, 2012; 211 citations), 'Gold, arsenic, and copper zoning in pyrite: A record of fluid chemistry and growth kinetics' (Geology, 2019; 163 citations), and 'The process of serpentinization in dunite from New Caledonia' (Lithos, 2013; 170 citations). She received the 2022 Barrow Award from the Metamorphic Studies Group for outstanding contributions to metamorphic geology, including foundational work on metamorphic fluids, redox budgets, and sulfide minerals. Evans has served as an editor for Journal of Metamorphic Geology since 2018 and for Geology from 2016 to 2020, where she was recognized as an Exceptional Reviewer in 2020. She chaired the Great Southern Science Council from 2019 to 2020. Her research has earned international recognition through keynote presentations, invited papers, and competitive fellowships, and her PhD students have advanced to leadership positions at Rio Tinto, BHP, and Northern Star Resources. Evans' contributions have advanced understanding of ore-forming processes, deep Earth redox dynamics, and the impacts of industrial emissions on cultural heritage sites like rock art.