Explaining the variation of mineral properties in both natural and synthetic systems. My work is environmental in nature and has primarily focused on phyllosilicates, oxyhydroxides, phosphates and industrial minerals in sedimentary systems and geotechnologies. Specific interests include constructed wetlands in the Yucatan for wastewater treatment, explaining the origin of sedimentary minerals from the Yucatan, mine waste investigations and transmission electron microscopy investigations of several minerals.