Denise Levitan

Denise Levitan received her B.S. from Yale and Ph.D. in Geosciences from Virginia Tech. She studied hydro-geochemistry of unmined ore deposits. After graduate school, Denise worked as an environmental scientist and geochemist for 9 years with Barr Engineering in Minnesota. In 2023, she joined the U.S.G.S. in Reston, Virginia to co-lead the Evolving Utilization of Solid Energy Fuels project. Denise currently conducts independent research on inorganic geochemistry of solid fuel energy resources and by-products from mining. Denise joined the Virginia Tech Geosciences Advisory Board to support positive student outcomes in geochemistry and environmental consulting, provide a connection with the U.S.G.S., and to share expertise in geochemistry and mining, particularly in regard to critical minerals.