Davin Bagdonas is a Research Scientist specializing in Coal and Rare Earth Elements at the Center for Economic Geology Research at the University of Wyoming's School of Energy Resources. Bagdonas currently serves as the principal investigator on three existing rare earth element related projects located in the Powder River Basin (PRB). Partnering with entities such as the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), these projects concentrate on the extraction technology development of coal and coal byproducts produced at coal fired power stations. Work has included the characterization of multiple coal cores from the PRB and Green River Basin, as well as the characterization of coal fly-ash produced as a byproduct of coal combustion in power stations for rare earth elements.