Welcome

The Salvat Laboratory is run exclusively by Jenna Salvat, an aspiring independent scientist whose work is a symbiosis of the humanities, arts, mathematics, and sciences. She believes strongly that careful review of existing literature and investment in fundamental science research can illuminate crucial details which historically have been overlooked.

Since 2015, her lab has been focused on a variety of disciplines, spanning geology, mineralogy, materials science, chemistry, and environmental engineering. Currently, she focuses on the rationalization of theory with experiment in X-Ray spectroscopic techniques.

Jenna is committed to enhancing accessibility in science. She has great interest in interpreting science to non-specialist audiences and democratizing knowledge. She is defiant of intellectual ego and the concept of scientists existing only in “ivory towers.” In her pursuit of becoming a lecturer, she believes that engaging and thorough lectures combined with experiential learning should be pivotal in education.

Jenna has worked in laboratory facilities at the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Colorado College, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and the Air Force Academy.

She has conducted research independently and collaboratively in the field, at the bench, in the fumehood, and with the supercomputer. Her modus operandi is that 80% of her work should be thinking and 20% should be execution; in that way, she can deliver brilliant results.

One of the great strengths of her laboratory is the ability to improvise and operate with limited resources. She is a proponent of small-scale, sustainable chemistry and believes that the vast volumes of solution and moles of material used in traditional chemistry laboratories should become obsolete.

Jenna has long been committed to volunteerism and believes that the world benefits from selfless acts of kindness. She is also an advocate for animal rights and is celebrating her 11th anniversary of veganism.

You may often find Jenna taking scrupulous notes using her fountain pens or rapidly typing away at her mechanical and electric type-bar typewriters. Just don’t be surprised if you shake her hand and find it stained with ink!

XAS + RIXS Measurements of Experimental Samples at Synchrotron Beamlines

Density Functional Theory for Theoretical Structure Determination

Simulating XANES and EXAFS of Theoretical Structures and Comparing to Experiment