Announcements

The following is an interview with Dr. Elif Emil Kaya and Dr. Xiangning Bu:

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
Elif Emil Kaya: My name is Elif Emil Kaya, and I am a Professor and Chair of Process Metallurgy in a Circular Economy at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. My research focuses on developing sustainable metallurgical processes for both primary and secondary resources, contributing to the transition towards a circular economy and resource-efficient metal production.
My fields of interest include hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, sustainable metal production, and critical and strategic raw materials recovery. I am particularly interested in integrating innovative process technologies with circular economy principles to reduce the environmental footprint of metal production and strengthen the supply of strategic raw materials.
Beyond my research and teaching activities, I am actively involved in international and national collaborations, and I serve as an Editor for an international peer-reviewed journal.
Xiangning Bu: I am an Associate Professor in Mineral Processing Engineering at the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology. My research focuses on fine-particle separation, interfacial chemistry, process intensification, and comprehensive utilization of secondary resources. My interests span from fundamental understanding of bubble–particle interactions at the micro/nano-scale to the development of energy-efficient technologies such as ultrasound-assisted flotation and fluidized-bed separation.

2. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Elif Emil Kaya: In the coming years, I believe that research related to sustainable and circular metal production will become increasingly important. The growing demand for critical and strategic raw materials, driven by the energy transition and advanced technologies, highlights the urgent need to develop efficient recycling strategies and alternative resource recovery routes.
I believe that several research areas will be particularly impactful, including the recovery of critical metals from complex secondary resources, sustainable pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and electrometallurgical processes, as well as the development of low-carbon metallurgical technologies. The integration of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and advanced modelling approaches into metallurgical processes will also play a key role in improving process efficiency, selectivity, and sustainability.
Furthermore, I expect that interdisciplinary approaches combining minerals, materials science, process engineering, artificial intelligence, environmental assessment, and industrial implementation will be essential to establish resilient and circular supply chains for metals. The transition towards a circular economy requires not only innovative technologies but also close collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers.
Xiangning Bu: I believe several interconnected topics will attract growing attention:
(1) Micro- and nanobubble-assisted flotation, especially the deconvolution of bulk vs. interfacial bubble effects and the design of functionalized bubbles for selective separation;
(2) Ultrasound-enhanced resource recovery, including the coupling of cavitation with leaching, flotation, and crystallization processes;
(3) Circular economy strategies for spent batteries and industrial waste, particularly the valorization of low-grade secondary resources through green and scalable routes. 

3. Have you encountered any difficulties in your research? How did you overcome them?
Elif Emil Kaya: Research in the field of sustainable metallurgy and mineral processing often requires a comprehensive understanding of complex materials and processes. One of the main challenges I have encountered is that the recovery of valuable and critical elements from complex primary and secondary resources cannot be addressed through a single approach. It requires the integration of different branches of mineral processing, process metallurgy, including pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, and electrometallurgy, together with a strong understanding of materials science.
I have addressed these challenges by combining fundamental knowledge of thermodynamics, process metallurgy, mineral processing, and materials/mineral characterization with innovative process development strategies. The combination of different metallurgical and mineral processing approaches enables the design of more efficient, selective, and sustainable processes for resource recovery and metal production.
I believe that the future of sustainable processes lies in the integration of different disciplines. By connecting mineral processing, process metallurgy, advanced characterization, modelling, AI, and industrial perspectives, we can develop solutions for the increasingly complex challenges related to critical raw materials and sustainable metal production.
Xiangning Bu: One of the biggest challenges has been bridging the gap between laboratory-scale mechanistic understanding and industrial-scale process reliability. For instance, while ultrasound cavitation shows great promise in enhancing fine-particle flotation, its high energy consumption and non-uniform spatial distribution pose hurdles for commercialization. To address this, we adopted a combined experimental and numerical approach: we used CFD-DEM simulations to optimize reactor design and conducted systematic parametric studies to identify energy-efficient windows. Collaborations with international groups, especially my training at the University of Newcastle under Prof. Graeme Jameson and Prof. Geoffrey Evans, provided invaluable insights into fluidized-bed flotation and multiphase flow modeling, which helped us tackle scaling issues from a fundamental perspective.

4. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?
Elif Emil Kaya: I believe that the key to a happy laboratory life is curiosity, collaboration, and the excitement of discovering something new every day. As researchers in process metallurgy, we are fortunate because our work often leads to tangible outcomes. We can observe changes in materials during a process, evaluate whether a developed approach is promising, and support our observations through characterization techniques.
For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of laboratory research is the direct connection between an idea and a physical material that we can produce, analyze, and improve. Whether it is a recovered metal, a new material phase, or an optimized process product, having a concrete result helps us understand the science behind the process and motivates further innovation.
A positive laboratory environment, where researchers share ideas, discuss results openly, and learn from each other, is equally important. I believe that combining scientific curiosity with teamwork creates a laboratory culture where both research excellence and personal satisfaction can flourish.
Xiangning Bu: A happy lab, in my opinion, is built on open communication, mutual respect, and shared curiosity. I encourage my students to freely discuss failed experiments as much as successful ones, because mistakes often hide the most interesting science. Regular group meetings, interdisciplinary brainstorming sessions, and a balanced work–life rhythm also contribute to a positive atmosphere. Celebrating small milestones, from a first-author paper to a tricky setup finally working, keeps everyone motivated.

5. What qualities do you think young scientists need?
Elif Emil Kaya: I believe that curiosity, perseverance, and openness to continuous learning are among the most important qualities for young scientists. Research is not always a linear journey; unexpected results, challenges, and failures are natural parts of scientific discovery. The ability to learn from these experiences and see them as opportunities for growth is essential.
It is important to enjoy the journey of science rather than focusing only on reaching a final goal. Scientific research is a continuous process of learning, exploration, and discovery. While having clear objectives is important, the experiences gained, the questions explored, and the knowledge developed along the way are equally valuable. Embracing this journey with curiosity and passion is what makes a scientific career truly rewarding.
Xiangning Bu: I would highlight three essential qualities:
(1) Curiosity: the drive to ask “why” and “what if” beyond the obvious;
(2) Resilience: the ability to learn from setbacks and persist when experiments or reviews do not go as planned;
(3) Collaboration spirit: modern research is rarely a solo journey; being open to learning from peers across disciplines and cultures greatly accelerates progress.
Integrity and a willingness to share credit are equally important for long-term growth.

6. How do you view open access publishing, particularly in the field of earth sciences?
Elif Emil Kaya: I believe open access publishing plays an important role in making scientific knowledge more accessible and promoting collaboration within the global research community. Especially in fields such as earth sciences, mineral resources, and sustainable metallurgy, sharing knowledge openly is essential to address global challenges related to critical raw materials and sustainable resource management.
At the same time, open access should always be supported by rigorous peer review and high scientific standards. As an editor, I believe that maintaining research quality and integrity is essential to ensuring that open access contributes meaningful value to the scientific community.
Xiangning Bu: Much of my research has been published in OA journals, and I have witnessed both the rapid emergence of new OA journals and the transition of traditional journals to OA models. Open access is undoubtedly the way forward, and it holds particular significance for earth sciences, a discipline that relies heavily on global data sharing. However, the explosive growth in the number of OA journals also raises concerns: not all of them maintain the expected academic standards. This calls for active involvement and quality scrutiny by professional scholars, as well as reasonable pricing and quality control mechanisms, to ensure that "pay-to-publish" does not erode academic credibility.

7. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of Minerals. What suggestions and expectations do you have for us?
Elif Emil Kaya: First of all, I would like to congratulate Minerals on its 15th anniversary and wish it continued success in the coming years. I believe the journal has established an important platform for researchers working on mineral resources, materials, and sustainable technologies.
Looking ahead, I hope Minerals will continue to strengthen its role in supporting interdisciplinary research, particularly in emerging areas such as critical raw materials, circular economy, sustainable mineral processing, and low-carbon technologies.
As a global scientific journal, I believe it is also important to consider the diverse economic conditions of researchers around the world. While open access publishing provides great opportunities for knowledge sharing, publication costs can sometimes be a challenge for researchers from countries or institutions with limited research funding. Developing flexible and inclusive approaches to support researchers from different regions could further enhance the diversity and global impact of the journal.
I look forward to seeing Minerals continue to grow as an inclusive platform that promotes high-quality research and international collaboration.
Xiangning Bu: My suggestion is that Minerals continue to delve deeply into the interdisciplinary frontiers of mineralogy and earth sciences, further strengthen the organization of thematic special issues, and attract more high-quality review articles and original research papers, while maintaining rigorous peer-review standards to consolidate and enhance the journal's academic reputation. In the broader context of open access, upholding the bottom line of academic quality and providing scholars with a truly valuable publishing platform will be the foundation for the journal's long-term development.

Since its establishment in 2020, the Minerals Young Investigator Award has been dedicated to recognizing the outstanding achievements of early-career researchers working across the broad field of mineral sciences, including mineralogy, mineral geochemistry and geochronology, economic mineral resources, mineral exploration, innovative mining techniques, and advances in mineral processing.

To mark the award’s fifth anniversary, we are delighted to present a special “Throwback Interview” series featuring our laureates from 2020 to 2024. In this retrospective, each awardee reflects on their career journey since receiving the award, shares a representative publication from recent years, and offers personal insight into what this recognition has meant to their professional development. We invite you to join us in celebrating their accomplishments and exploring the diverse and impactful research that they continue to advance.

2020 | Dr. Greeshma Gadikota

• Current Title and Affiliation: Lenfest Earth Institute Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, USA (with appointments in the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Columbia Climate School)
• Key Milestone/Research Development Since Award: Received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor at Cornell University; later promoted to Lenfest Earth Institute Professor at Columbia University.
• Recent Representative Publication: Katre, S.; Ochonma, P.; Mamidala, A.; Sahu, S.; Nair, A.M.; Ravi, K.; Gadikota, G. Organic Ligands and CO₂ Unlock the Potential for Energy Relevant Metals Recovery and Carbon Mineralization. Sci. Rep. 2025, 15, 12345. DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-94153-4.
• One-Sentence Insight on Award’s Impact: “The award validated that our trajectory in developing technologies to harness minerals for recovering metals for energy and environment security and sustainability is needed in the world.”

2021 | Dr. Antony Burnham

• Current Title and Affiliation: Honorary Lecturer, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Australia
• Key Milestone/Research Development Since Award: Served as lead author of the chapter “A review of redox analytical methods” for the third edition of Elsevier’s Treatise on Geochemistry.
• Recent Representative Publication: Burnham, A.D.; Chandler, R.; Amelin, Y.; Mavrogenes, J. Allanite Geochronology in the Mount Isa Inlier. Aust. J. Earth Sci. 2024, 71, 1156–1169. DOI:10.1080/08120099.2023.2291514.
• One-Sentence Insight on Award’s Impact: “The award gave me validation that the effort I’d put into producing high quality papers over my growing career had been worthwhile and recognised by others - research can be stressful and tiring so it’s good to hear that people respect the work I’ve done.”

2022 | Dr. Shaunna Morrison

• Current Title and Affiliation: Associate Professor, Graduate Program Director, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, USA
• Key Milestone/Research Development Since Award: Transitioned to Rutgers University as Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, building a research group focused on mineral informatics, planetary mineralogy, and data-driven approaches to mineral evolution and biosignature detection.
• Recent Representative Publication: Morrison, S.M.; Blake, D.F.; Bristow, T.F.; Castle, N.; Chipera, S.J.; Craig, P.I.; Downs, R.T.; Eleish, A.; Hazen, R.M.; Meusburger, J.M.; et al. Expanded Insights into Martian Mineralogy: Updated Analysis of Gale Crater’s Mineral Composition via CheMin Crystal Chemical Investigations. Minerals 2024, 14, 773. DOI:10.3390/min14080773.
• One-Sentence Insight on Award’s Impact: “Receiving the Minerals Young Investigator Award was a meaningful recognition of my efforts to integrate traditional mineralogy with planetary science and data science, and being part of this legacy reinforces my commitment to helping define the next generation of mineralogical research.”

2023 | Dr. Anton Kutyrev

• Current Title and Affiliation: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Key Milestone/Research Development Since Award: Expanded work from mineral-scale observations to integrated field-to-lab-to-modeling studies of layered intrusions and chromitites across South Africa, Finland, and Wales.
• Recent Representative Publication: Kutyrev, A.; Filimonova, O.; Saxey, D.W.; Vymazalová, A.; Evans, K.; Kamenetsky, V.S.; Wermeille, D.; Fougerouse, D.; Reddy, S.M. Formation of Natural IrO₂ through Os–Ir–Ru Alloy Oxidation. Chem. Geol. 2026, 700, 123167. DOI:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2025.123167.
• One-Sentence Insight on Award’s Impact: “The award provided clear external recognition at an early stage that helped me strengthen collaborations and maintain momentum while developing a more independent research direction.”

2024 | Dr. Edoardo Sanità

• Current Title and Affiliation: Postdoctoral Researcher in Structural Geology and Tectonics, Department of Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
• Key Milestone/Research Development Since Award: Continued to investigate the tectono-metamorphic evolution of subducted low-grade rocks to unveil deformation mechanisms, seismic styles, and fluid–rock interaction processes at depths typical of the seismogenic zone along the plate interface, by integrating field-, micro-, and nano-scale techniques.
• Recent Representative Publication:
1. Sanità, E.; Di Rosa, M.; Della Porta, G.; Catanzariti, R.; Pandolfi, L.; Marroni, M. Trench Sediment Heterogeneity Controls Accretion Mechanisms in Subduction Zone. Sci. Rep. 2025, 15, 34793. DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-18508-7.
2. Sanità, E.; Di Rosa, M.; Lardeaux, J.M. Formation and Preservation of Carpholite in Low Blueschist Facies Assemblages: Implications for the H₂O Budget at Seismogenic Zone Depth. J. Geol. Soc. 2026, 183, 117. DOI:10.1144/jgs2025-117.
• One-Sentence Insight on Award’s Impact: “Being awarded the Young Investigator Award 2024 gave me renewed motivation and a clearer vision for my research path, while enhancing my academic profile.”

Announcing the 2025 Young Investigator Award Winners

We are delighted to share that the recipients of the 2025 Minerals Young Investigator Award have now been selected! Please join us in congratulating this year’s outstanding early-career researchers for their remarkable contributions to the mineral sciences.

Applications and nominations for future award cycles are also welcome. If you know an exceptional young investigator—or if you are one yourself—we encourage you to stay tuned for the upcoming nomination period and help us to continue celebrating the next generation of leaders in mineralogy, exploration, and sustainable resource development.

Minerals Editorial Office

The Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) editorial team is pleased to announce the launch of a new Section—“Mineralogy Beyond Earth”.

This Section aims to publish high-quality research that advances the understanding of the formation, evolution, distribution, and significance of minerals with origins beyond the boundaries of Earth. By focusing on extraterrestrial mineralogy, this Section seeks to:

• Highlight how extraterrestrial minerals record the history of planetary bodies (e.g., planets, moons, asteroids, comets) and the early solar system;
• Facilitate the exchange of insights on mineralogical processes unique to non-Earth environments (e.g., low-gravity crystallization, extreme temperature/pressure regimes, interactions with exotic volatiles like methane or ammonia);
• Support the translation of extraterrestrial mineralogy research into practical applications, such as resource utilization in space exploration and the interpretation of data from planetary missions (e.g., rovers, orbiters, sample return missions);
• Complement Minerals’s existing focus on Earth-based mineralogy by expanding its scope to a global (solar system-wide and beyond) context, thereby attracting a broader community of researchers and enhancing the journal’s interdisciplinary impact.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Extraterrestrial mineralogy;
• Planetary minerals;
• Lunar mineralogy;
• Mars mineralogy;
• Asteroid mineralogy;
• Cometary minerals;
• Pre-solar minerals;
• Protoplanetary disk minerals;
• Europa minerals;
• Impact metamorphism (extraterrestrial);
• Hydrothermal minerals (non-Earth);
• In situ resource utilization (ISRU);
• Planetary remote sensing (mineralogical);
• Sample return missions (mineral analysis);
• Comparative mineralogy;
• Astromineralogy;
• Solar system mineral evolution;
• Mineralogy of extrasolar planets;
• Meteorites.

We are currently recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) and Guest Editors for this Section. If you are an active researcher in this field and are passionate about publishing cutting-edge research, please contact us at minerals@mdpi.com. For further information on the journal’s Sections, please click here.

Minerals Editorial Office

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) is pleased to announce the following 96 researchers, who have been added to our group of 2025–2026 Early Career Editorial Board Members. Please join us in congratulating them on becoming part of the Minerals community!

We are pleased to announce that Mr. George Mustoe’s paper “Silicification of Wood: An Overview”  has won the Minerals 2023 Best Paper Award, acknowledging it as an exceptional article published in Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X). As the winner of this award, Mr. George Mustoe will receive CHF 500, a certificate, and a free voucher for article processing fees valid for one year.

The following is a short interview with the winner, Mr. George Mustoe:

1. Congratulations on winning the Minerals 2023 Best Paper Award! Could you please briefly introduce yourself?

I did not start out as a paleontologist. My original training was in geochemistry, and as I got older, I became interested in fossil plants because, in this area, most of the local bedrock is Eocene sediment, that is, full of fossil plants, mostly fossil leaves. There had been some work conducted on that topic, but not a lot, and I finally decided if somebody was going to work on it, it might as well be me—despite the fact I knew almost nothing about botany. This goes back to the mid-1990s, I guess, when I decided, I would start looking at these fossil leaves and try to learn enough botany to make some sense of them. In my early years, I was basically looking at fossil leaves, and I became interested in paleoclimate modeling. I was influenced by a US Geological Survey geologist, Jack Wolf, who invented the first computer model of paleoclimate. So, I started out doing that, and after a while I became more interested in petrified wood, which is abundant in the Western United States. A consistent theme of my research is that I have been interested in how ancient life becomes fossilized. I have performed some taxonomy and some classical paleontology work, but mostly I have been interested in the fossilization process. I started looking at fossil wood, and it became one of my main research interests. I had good analytical skills and was performing a lot of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence analysis—tools that were really useful for looking at fossils, particularly fossil wood. Although I have worked on many other projects, fossil wood has remained a continued interest for me. One of the things that has always interested me is the boundary areas between scientific disciplines. The world is not divided into categories like chemistry, geology, and physics, yet that is how it is usually taught. For me, one of the attractions of paleontology is that it sits at the intersection of geology, biology, and, in my case, chemistry as well. I enjoy working in those boundary areas, and almost all of the research I have chosen to do has been in that space. In paleontology, I have always been fascinated by the simple fact that when you hold a fossil in your hand, you are holding something that was once alive. My geology program focused on hard rock geology, petrology, and to some extent geophysics. I took courses in crystallography, mineralogy, and related areas, but those subjects never captivated me as much. I have always been more interested in what has happened on the surface of the Earth rather than deep within it. While hard rock geology certainly has value, my curiosity lies in surface processes and history. Paleontology, for me, is the closest thing to having a time machine.

2. Could you give a brief overview of the main content of your award-winning paper?

A great percentage of the research that has been published about fossil wood has been performed by botanists and biologists who have not had much interest in geology, so the publications have largely focused on taxonomy—what kind of wood it is—and reconstructing the paleoenvironment from the species that were living at the time. There has often been very little discussion of the geologic setting where the fossil wood was preserved, and very little about the processes of fossilization.

Early on, I saw that wood is commonly fossilized in several steps, sometimes with long delays in between. It is not a simple “wood turned to stone” process. A consistent theme of my work has been studying the succession of processes that cause wood to become mineralized. There are simple examples, but mostly very complicated ones. I have continued to follow this path, examining how wood transitions from cellulose and lignin material to mineral replacement.

One commonly repeated idea is permineralization—the belief that the open spaces in wood become filled with minerals while the actual wood tissue remains. This has been repeated in textbooks and journals, but for silicified wood, that interpretation is usually wrong. Permineralization is attractive because of its simplicity, but it has rarely been tested. One of the only attempts I found was by Dr. Saint John, who published a paper around 1927. She treated silicified wood with hydrofluoric acid to dissolve the silica and examined what remained. Of six samples, almost none retained organic matter. Her work, published in the Journal of Economic Geology, was largely ignored because it was not read by paleontologists.

When I examined samples myself, I also found very little organic matter in most silicified wood. I developed a different method: powdering the wood, heating it to about 500°C to burn off any organic matter, measuring the weight loss, and comparing it to the original density of the wood. This gave a semi-quantitative measure of preserved organic matter, which was typically very small. Thus, permineralization is mostly a comfortable fiction; actual testing shows it to be rare. Fossilization is instead a competitive process—while wood degrades through microbial activity or chemical reactions, minerals such as silica infiltrate and replace it. Petrifaction only occurs when the rates of degradation and mineralization balance. If degradation is faster, the wood is destroyed, leaving only a cast. If mineralization is faster, more organic matter may remain. But most often, almost all organic matter is lost as minerals replace it in successive stages.

The structure of wood itself favors petrifaction. Wood provides strength in trees and contains conductive cells for transporting water and dissolved minerals upward, and nutrients downward. This porosity means that, once buried, wood must be in an environment that inhibits decay—often below the water table in anaerobic conditions. If groundwater carries dissolved minerals, these can precipitate. For silica, the first step is attachment to the cell walls due to chemical affinity, followed by filling of the cell interiors, and later, fractures or larger voids. Many fossilized woods show incomplete processes, with preserved cell walls but unfilled interiors, or larger fractures left open.

Two common questions I am asked about fossil wood are “What species is it?” (I do not focus on taxonomy), and “How long does it take to petrify?” The answer to the second is highly variable. In the right conditions, wood can mineralize fairly quickly; in other cases, it never mineralizes. For example, wood in the Canadian Arctic buried in sediments without groundwater can remain as original wood for tens of millions of years. Locally, I have seen Miocene and Pleistocene wood preserved in impermeable clay, essentially sealed, still cuttable with a knife or burnable with a match. More commonly, wood mineralizes in multiple stages, over variable timescales, depending entirely on environment.

3. Could you describe some challenges you have faced during your career?

I grew up in a small town in Nevada, in a family where higher education was not an option. My father grew up on a small homestead ranch in Colorado. His father died of a heart attack in his 40s, leaving eleven children. At age of 14, my father dropped out of school after eighth grade to find work and send money home to support his widowed mother and younger siblings. He worked for ten years as a miner until serving in the army during World War II. After the war, with the mining industry in decline, he spent his life as an auto mechanic.

My mother was also a child of the Great Depression. She graduated from high school, but like my father, wanted something better for us. I had an older brother, Raymond, and my parents hoped we could both attend college, though we had no money. Their plan was simple: when Raymond was a senior in high school, the family would move to a town with a college so we could live at home and attend inexpensively. Scholarships never occurred to us, even though we were good students.

So, we moved to Bellingham, Washington—a place we had never been—because it had a small college. Raymond graduated in anthropology, and I started as a freshman majoring in geology. I worked minimum-wage jobs to pay my way through college while living at home. By the end, I became interested in biochemistry and began graduate school in that field, but my professor died of cancer at age 34, leaving me stranded. Fortunately, I had enough geology credits to complete a master’s degree in geology.

I then worked at the university as a research technician for 40 years. I was never a professor and never earned a PhD, but I had access to laboratories and freedom to study what I wanted. This led to a large publication record and an active research career. I have now been retired for 11 years, but I still have my lab keys, and continue conducting research, and enjoy the freedom of working only when I want to.

I often think about my father, who left school so early but was one of the smartest people I have known. His lack of formal education limited him, but he taught me that there are many ways to learn besides sitting in a classroom. Too often, college can feel like information being poured into your head. But what really matters in life is knowing how to find information when you need it and being willing to keep learning.

If your education ends when you receive a diploma, you can remain ignorant as the world changes. What’s important is staying curious and learning as life goes on. In my time, that meant reading journals and going to the library. Today, everything seems to be online. That makes access easier, but it also brings the challenge of separating accurate information from the enormous amount of misinformation. The real skill is not just finding information—but finding information you can trust.

4. What factors attracted you to submit your paper to Minerals? How was your submission experience?

Well, I am pleased to say I love MDPI publications. I have published in many journals and completed several hundred peer reviews across different outlets. My experience with MDPI has been excellent. The peer review is first-rate, both in the reviews I have received and in those I have conducted as a reviewer. The process is efficient, the editors are responsive, and it is refreshing not to wait six months or more for a paper to appear. Peer review is not perfect anywhere, but MDPI demonstrates a strong commitment to quality, and in my view, it is among the best.

5. What advice would you give to young researchers who aspire to produce high-impact research results?

I really recommend pursuing things that capture your interest. If you focus only on a job title, it may not lead to a very happy life. What really counts is what you do on a day-to-day basis, not what’s written on your office door or desk.

Your passions do not always have to be tied to your career. For example, I have always been devoted to music. I am a woodwind player and have taken years of lessons, and especially in retirement, I have played a lot. The closest I have come to being a professional musician is probably having neighbors who would pay me to stop practicing so much. And that is fine with me—I am glad I never had to rely on music to make a living, since most music or art jobs are not very appealing and are often difficult to sustain. Instead, I had a job I enjoyed, working 40 years in the same place with colleagues I liked.

If you pursue what truly interests you, it might not always be clear where it will lead, but it is likely to take you to a good place. If you pursue something out of ego or vanity, it is less likely to bring fulfillment. My parents, for example, encouraged my brother and me to get an education but never imposed what we should study or become. That freedom was invaluable.

Ultimately, education is less about pouring information into your head and more about giving you time and space to discover your path. It is not a bad thing to be young and undecided—often, that is exactly how you find the direction that is right for you.

6. Minerals is an open access journal. How do you think open access impacts readers and authors?

These days, I try to publish only in open-access journals. I strongly oppose the paywall structure, where access to research is restricted unless you pay a significant fee. Personally, my university library covers access costs for me, but for anyone without that advantage, it creates a huge barrier. To me, making scientific research a profitable enterprise for publishers is problematic. That is why I value MDPI journals for their commitment to Open Access and Creative Commons licensing.

I also see online publishing as the future. Hard copy journals are rarely used now; most people prefer PDFs. I used to publish in the Geological Society of America Bulletin, a leading U.S. geology journal. While technically nonprofit, they still relied heavily on paywalls and were so page-limited that every issue was committed more than a year in advance. That made it nearly impossible to get an article accepted. Online publishing eliminates those barriers, allowing unlimited articles, color illustrations, and interactive links.

More information about journal awards can be found at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/awards.

Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X) is pleased to announce the winners of the Minerals Best Paper Award. We selected two research articles and one review among all the peer-reviewed papers published in our journal in 2023. The papers were chosen after a thorough evaluation conducted by the journal’s Award Committee led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Leonid Dubrovinsky. 

We would like to congratulate the following winners: 

• “Potential Future Alternative Resources for Rare Earth Elements: Opportunities and Challenges”
  by Vysetti Balaram
  Minerals 2023, 13(3), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13030425

• “Comparison of Quantitative X-ray Diffraction Mineral Analysis Methods”
  by Jingyun Xiao, Yougui Song and Yue Li
  Minerals 2023, 13(4), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13040566

• “Silicification of Wood: An Overview”
  by George E. Mustoe
  Minerals 2023, 13(2), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13020206

The announcement of the winners can be found on the following website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals/awards/3569.

Minerals Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce Dr. Elisa Laita and Dr. Chongchong Qi as the winners of the Minerals 2025 Travel Award. The Minerals Travel Award was launched in 2016, and it is awarded every year to encourage young scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in the fields of mineralogy, mineral geochemistry and geochronology, economic mineral resources, mineral exploration, innovative mining techniques, and advances in mineral processing. The winners of this award will receive CHF 800 each and a certificate. The winners were chosen by the journal’s award committee—Prof. Dr. Leonid Dubrovinsky, Prof. Hyunjung Kim, Dr. Alexandra Guedes, Dr. Jianxi Zhu, Dr. Alexander R Cruden, and Dr. Paul Alexandre.

Dr. Elisa Laita received a bachelor’s degree in geology in 2015 at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), where she also completed an M.Sc. in geology and an M.Sc. in Secondary Education in 2016 and 2017, respectively. She defended her Ph.D. at the same university in 2022, and she was awarded the extraordinary Ph.D. award. Her research has focused on the mineralogical and geochemical characterization of clay-rich materials, both from paleoclimatic and industrial perspectives. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Geology Department of the University of Jaén (Spain). She has published 16 scientific articles in JCR-indexed journals, participated in five research projects, and completed both predoctoral and postdoctoral research stays at the Institute of Analytical and Physical Chemistry for the Environment and Materials (Pau, France). She has presented her work at seven international conferences and more than ten national ones and has taken part in numerous seminars and webinars. In addition, she actively collaborates in science outreach activities related to geology, aiming to make earth sciences more accessible to the public.

Dr. Chongchong Qi received a B.Sc. in mining engineering from the China University of Mining and Technology (2016) and a Ph.D. in mining engineering from The University of Western Australia (2019), where his thesis, “Machine-Learning Aided Design for Cemented Paste Backfill”, pioneered innovative approaches to mineral-based materials. Since 2019, he has led transformative research in cemented paste backfill (CPB), green mining, and heavy metal remediation—areas central to mineral sciences. He has also published several papers in Minerals (ISSN: 2075-163X), with one of them being recognized as the Most Cited & Viewed Paper in Minerals in 2020. Dr. Qi also actively participates in the editorial process of Minerals, having joined the Editorial Board of Minerals and led several Special Issues.

We were honored to interview Dr. Elisa Laita and Dr. Chongchong Qi. The interview is summarized below:

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your field of research?
Dr. Elisa Laita: My name is Elisa Laita, and I am currently a postdoc researcher at the Geology Department of the University of Jaén (Spain). My main research line is focused on the mineralogical and geochemical analysis of clay minerals included in palaeosols and clay-rich rocks with both palaeoclimatic and industrial perspectives. 
Dr. Chongchong Qi: My name is Chongchong Qi, and I am an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia. My work focuses on mitigating the environmental impacts of mineral extraction and use, including tailings recycling via cemented paste backfill technology, identification of mining-induced heavy metal pollution, pollution remediation, etc.

2. In your previous collaborations with MDPI, what impressed you the most?
Dr. Elisa Laita: In my previous collaborations with MDPI (as an author, reviewer, and currently as a Guest Editor), I have been most impressed by the efficiency of the editorial process, and I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the scientific community.
Dr. Chongchong Qi: One of MDPI’s major advantages is its fast peer-review process, made possible by the dedication of both the Editorial Office and the reviewers. When timely publication is crucial—such as supporting students’ graduations—MDPI is among the top choices.

3. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Dr. Elisa Laita: I think that mineralogy will continue to be central for addressing global challenges in the coming years. The role of certain critical raw materials in green technologies will gain importance. I also think that advances in analytical techniques will open new avenues for exploring minerals at micro- and nanoscale levels.
Dr. Chongchong Qi: Today, AI is revolutionizing every stage of research—from idea generation and experimental design to data analysis and manuscript writing. I am confident the minerals community will experience the same transformation, with AI-supported minerals exploration, extraction, utilization, and recycling.

4. As the winner of this award, would you like to take a moment to share your thoughts with our readers or express gratitude to those who have played a significant role in your research accomplishments?
Dr. Elisa Laita: I am very grateful for this award, and I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have supported me through my academic journey. Thank you to my colleagues and mentors at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), as well as to my colleagues from the University of Jaén (Spain) and IPREM (Pau, France) for their guidance, dedication, and support.
Dr. Chongchong Qi: This award means a lot to me, as it offers an invaluable opportunity to present my research at such a prestigious conference. I am deeply grateful to the many wonderful people who have supported me along the way—especially my wife and sons, my supervisors at the University of Western Australia and Central South University, and my friends for their encouragement and assistance.

The 2026 International Day of Caves and Karst, celebrated on 13 September, highlights the hidden yet indispensable role of underground landscapes in sustaining life on Earth. With the theme “Explore, Understand and Protect: Towards Sustainable Management of Caves and Karst”, this year’s observance emphasizes how karst systems and cave environments—functioning as natural reservoirs, biodiversity hotspots, and climate archives—offer nature-based solutions to pressing global challenges. By revealing the intricate connections between surface and subsurface ecosystems, caves continue to deepen our understanding of Earth’s history and resilience. Journals published by MDPI support this mission by providing platforms for advancing research that explores the complexity and fragility of these subterranean realms.

MDPI invites researchers and readers to engage with open access journals, Special Issues, and collaborative platforms dedicated to advancing cave and karst science. Discover freely accessible studies spanning from speleogenesis and hydrogeology to subterranean ecology and heritage conservation, participate in global discussions through interdisciplinary forums, and contribute to open science efforts that bridge above‑ground and below‑ground perspectives. Together, let us embrace the mystery and significance of the underground to spark new dialogue, empower collective stewardship, and illuminate pathways toward a more sustainable coexistence with the hidden half of our planet.

“Challenges in the Detection of Water-Filled Cavities in Karst Environments Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography”
by Sergio Negri and Dora Francesca Barbolla
Geosciences 2025, 15(9), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15090349

“Microclimate Variability in a Highly Dynamic Karstic System”
by Diego Gil, Mario Sánchez-Gómez and Joaquín Tovar-Pescador
Geosciences 2025, 15(8), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15080280

“Aeolian Landscapes and Paleoclimatic Legacy in the Southern Chacopampean Plain, Argentina”
by Enrique Fucks, Yamile Rico, Luciano Galone, Malena Lorente, Sebastiano D’Amico and María Florencia Pisano
Geographies 2025, 5(3), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies5030033

“Spatiotemporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Karst Rocky Desertification in Guangxi, China, Under Climate Change and Human Activities”
by Jialei Su, Meiling Liu, Qin Yang, Xiangnan Liu, Zeyan Wu and Yanan Wen
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(13), 2294; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17132294

“Detection of Sedimentary Basins and Karstic Faults in the Yucatán Peninsula by Gravity Inversion and Euler Deconvolution”
by José Carlos Ortiz-Alemán, Mauricio Nava-Flores, Jaime Humberto Urrutia-Fucugauchi, Sebastián Ortiz-Aguilar, Mauricio Gabriel Orozco-del-Castillo and Sebastian López-Juárez
Earth 2025, 6(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6020042

“Reassessing the Global Significance of Geological Heritage in the Miné-Akiyoshidai Karst Plateau Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark”
by Koji Wakita, Hokuto Obara, Nozomu Oyama and Takashi Murakami
Geosciences 2025, 15(2), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15020056

“Matese Mts. and Caserta District Karst Bauxites (Campania Region, Southern Italy): Insights on Geochemistry, Paleoclimate, Paleoenvironment, and Parental Affinity”
by Roberto Buccione and Giovanni Mongelli
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121253

“Hydrothermal Karstification of the Pre-Messinian Eonile Canyon: Geomorphological and Geochemical Evidences for Hypogene Speleogenesis in the Middle Nile Valley of Egypt”
by Ashraf A. Mostafa, Hatem M. El-Desoky, Diaa A. Saadawi, Ahmed M. Abdel-Rahman, John Webb, Hassan Alzahrani, Fahad Alshehri, Abdurraouf Okok, Ahmed E. Khalil and Eman A. Marghani
Minerals 2024, 14(9), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090946

“A New Species of Spelaeometra Polhemus & Ferreira, 2018 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Hydrometridae) from a Hotspot of Troglobites in Brazil, Serra do Ramalho Karst Area”
by Isabelle R. S. Cordeiro, Maria Elina Bichuette and Felipe F. F. Moreira
Animals 2023, 13(20), 3199; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13203199

“Winter Dietary Analysis Reveals the Foraging Differences of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in Different Regions of a Karst Mountainous Area”
by Heqin Cao, Xiongwei Yang, Caichun Peng, Yeying Wang, Qunyi Guo and Haijun Su
Animals 2023, 13(4), 727; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040727

“Illuminating the Void: Advances in Geophysical Imaging of Caves and Karst Systems” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. John McBride and Prof. Dr. Scott Ritter Submission deadline: 1 December 2026	“Cave Life: Creatures That Lurk in the Shadows” Guest Editors: Dr. Jonas Eduardo Gallão and Dr. Maria Elina Bichuette Submission deadline: 31 March 2027