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Stephen E. Haggerty, 87, professor emeritus in the Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences, died Jan. 2, in Miami, Florida.

Haggerty joined the faculty at UMass Amherst in 1971 as an assistant professor and rose to full professor prior to retiring with emeritus status in 2002. Shortly thereafter, he was named a distinguished research professor in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education at Florida International University, a position he held until his death.

An expert in mineralogy, petrology and metalliferous economic geology, Haggerty’s research interests were in reflected-light microscopy, magnetic mineralogy, and oxidation-reduction systems relevant to magmatic ore deposits and igneous petrogenesis. His research revolved around the Fe-Ti-O system and ranged from studies of lunar samples and meteorites to diamonds and the evolution of the upper mantle. He was a principal investigator for 10 years in the U.S. Apollo and Soviet Luna sample return programs and served on the Lunar Sample Analysis Planning Team.

An article on Haggerty’s professional highlights was published following his death by trade publication Mining Weekly.