We are pleased to share the experiences of students supported by EMU Travel Grants to attend and present their research at international conferences in 2026.

Katharina Vacek, BSc (Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, Austria), who presented her work entitled “Retention-active oxide matrices as dynamic sinks for arsenic and antimony in legacy mine tailings” at IMA 2026 in Nanjing, shared:

“I am deeply grateful to the EMU for the travel grant that allowed me to present my environmental mineralogy research on retention-active matrices as dynamic sinks for arsenic and antimony in legacy mine tailings at IMA 2026 in Nanjing. This major mineralogical event allowed me to discuss innovative concepts with experts across various subfields and build inspiring connections with researchers and students from Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. Overall, it was an incredibly enriching trip and an invaluable experience for my scientific journey.”

Katharina Vacek presenting her poster at IMA 2026 in Nanjing