Preparing for a Planetary Science Career
Preparing for a Planetary Science Career
EEPS faculty trained Rhiannon Mayne (PhD ’08) to think like a scientist and built her confidence to become a researcher, professor, and curator.
From an interest in meteorites, Rhiannon Mayne (PhD ’08) has developed a career that includes research, teaching, curation, and public outreach, with no two work days ever quite the same.
“I am the Oscar and Juanita Monnig Endowed Chair of Meteoritics and Planetary Science at Texas Christian University (TCU)—a title almost as long as the list of responsibilities that comes with it,” Mayne quipped. “I serve as curator of the Monnig Meteorite Collection and Gallery, one of the largest university-based meteorite collections in the world, where I manage both the research collection and the museum itself.”
As a faculty member in TCU’s Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, she also teaches courses that range from planetary science and geology to environmental science and the history of science.
Mayne said the outstanding planetary research program at the University of Tennessee drew her to the Knoxville campus for her doctoral degree, and the wide breadth of planetary science and geology courses prepared her for the variety of teaching she now does.
“Being part of the planetary research group at UT was an incredible experience,” Mayne said. “I was surrounded by faculty, postdocs, and graduate students who were genuinely shaping the field.”
“Being immersed in a community where everyone was doing exciting, hands-on research kept me engaged and motivated,” she said. “Attending conferences, presenting my work, and meeting others in the field helped me find my footing as a scientist and gave me a real sense of belonging in the broader research community.”
Thinking Like a Scientist
“My first semester at UT, I took a course with Dr. Larry Taylor, who was famous for his impossible mineral formula quizzes (amongst other things),” Mayne said. “I had come from a university with no planetary science faculty, so it felt incredible that Larry trusted me to work on an Apollo sample in that very first class.
Taylor later served on her PhD committee. “While he had exceptionally high expectations, he was also always a great advocate,” she said. “He pushed us hard, but he was always the first to step forward and open doors.”
She credits her advisor, Harry Y. “Hap” McSween, with teaching her how to think like a scientist.
“His efficiency is something I can only aspire to, but what I admired most was his clarity—he had a way of cutting straight to the important questions,” she said.
“He gave me the space to take full ownership of my research, which was both terrifying and empowering. That trust, from both him and Larry, built a kind of quiet confidence that’s carried me through every stage of my career,” Mayne said.
She hopes today’s students recognize that the science is better when they engage with and support others. “Science can feel competitive, but collaboration will take you farther than you think,” Mayne said. “It may sound a bit twee, but the relationships you build at UT, both professional and personal, will stay with you long after graduation.”
Sharing Science with Communities
Her love for outreach started when she volunteered with the Knoxville Gem and Mineral Society’s annual show, and it grew as she visited local teachers’ classrooms.
“Before long, sharing science became as important to me as doing it,” she said. “That realization shaped everything that came next because I knew I wanted a career that combined research and outreach, which makes my current role at the Monnig Meteorite Collection a perfect fit.”
The Meteoritical Society recognized Mayne’s contributions to the planetary science community and the public with its 2025 Service Award. In addition to her research, teaching, and serving on committees within and beyond the society, it noted her growing the Monning Collection to nearly 2500 classified meteorites and increasing public access and engagement.
