Mary's self-introduction: From Tanzania to KREATE

Habari, mimi ni Mary Charles Moshi

I am a Tanzanian geologist and a researcher at School of Mines and Geosciences, University of Dar es Salaam. Born and raised in a small village at foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania, outdoor hiking and traversing along the rocky slopes of the mountain was a routine. This eventually motivated my career as a geologist. I have a BSc in Geology from the University of Dar es Salaam and MSc in Earth Sciences from University of Utrecht (The Netherlands). I continued my graduate studies at Akita University (Japan), and obtained a Doctor of Science degree in Resource Geology in year 2025.

My research focus is centered on geoprocesses in carbonatites. Through different mineralogical and geochemical approaches I investigate how interplay of geological processes, from magmatic to supergene, influence complex mineralogical patterns in carbonatites and formation of rare earth deposits (REE). Apart from research, I enjoy teaching undergraduate students in the field, and sometimes engage in public service works related to environment and mining activities in my country. I am presently a short-term research fellow, supported by “FY 2025 Tohoku University Africa Strategic Early-career Internship Fellow Program”, at the Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, working under Prof. Tatsuki Tsujimori. I and Prof. Tatsuki met in 2015 in Tanzania, when I was still an undergraduate student and Prof. Tatsuki was a on his field visit. Since then, Prof. Tatsuki has continued to be my mentor in my professional career. At Tohoku University, Prof. Tatsuki and I are working on understanding the mineralogical pattern in the Ngualla Carbonatite Complex, western Tanzania. Together we are ecstatic exploring the complexity of carbonatites, and say “Hakuna Matata”🦁.