European Association of Geochemistry www.eag.eu.com 2015 EAG MEDALLISTS Houtermans Award to Caroline Peacock Urey Award to Al Hofmann Caroline Peacock (University of Leeds, UK) obtained her undergraduate and PhD degrees from Albrecht Hofmann (Max Planck Institut für the University of Bristol (UK) where she helped Chemie, Germany) has been awarded the 2015 Urey pioneer the combined application of synchrotron Medal. His detailed chemical studies of mantle- spectroscopy, quantum mechanical modelling and derived volcanic rocks are distinguished by their experimental approaches to studying molecular creative approaches to understand the processes interactions between metals, minerals and microbes. controlling trace-element variability in lavas. Al’s Caroline continued this work during a lectureship work not only defi ned some of the chemical varia- at the University of Southampton (UK), before tions that exist in the mantle but also helped to moving to Leeds in 2009, where she is now an associate professor. Her explain why they exist and their relationship to many achievements include developing the fi rst molecular thermo- Earth’s dynamic interior. His decades-long direction of the Max Planck dynamic models to predict trace-metal abundance and stable-isotope Institut für Chemie built the laboratory into a world-renowned centre fractionation in seawater and marine sediments. Caroline is also among for geochemistry and a training ground for many of today’s top high- the fi rst to show that molecular processes at the surfaces of Fe–Mn temperature geochemists. Through his own scientifi c achievements minerals are the primary control on the global abundance and distribu- and his many leadership roles in the geochemistry community, Al tion of many bioessential metals in seawater. Hofmann fundamentally contributed to the growth of geochemistry as a discipline. Distinguished Service Award to Christa Göpel Werner Stumm Science Innovation Award This year, the EAG council wishes to recognise to Philippe Van Cappellen Christa Göpel (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France), for her service as EAG treasurer from Philippe Van Cappellen (University of Waterloo, 2008 to 2014. Christa has been instrumental in Canada) is one of the outstanding low-temperature placing the EAG on a solid fi nancial footing, so geochemists of his generation: he possesses an allowing the society to fund many additional initia- outstanding fl air for defi ning the key biogeochem- tives. An excellent treasurer, Christa has always ical processes. He uses his special ability to quan- demonstrated a good balance between optimism titatively understand those processes, both and pessimism when presenting fi nancial forecasts! The EAG is theoretically and experimentally, and has devel- honoured to recognize Christa for her outstanding contribution to the oped an extraordinary variety of useful biogeo- geochemical community, which greatly exceeded the expectations of chemical models. For much of his career, Philippe normal service. has been working at the interface between environmental geochemistry and microbiology and has recognised the crucial role that bacteria play EAG PHOTO CONTEST 2015: submit your photo from in globally important elemental cycling. He also has an outstanding mid-August Winners receive a 5-year EAG membership! record as a mentor: 21 of his former PhD students and postdoctoral More details on our website and newsletters (subscribe to newsletters fellows now hold positions in academia and research institutes. for free at www.eag.eu.com/subscribe) THE LIVES OF GREAT GEOCHEMISTS: WERNER STUMM (1924–1999) Werner Stumm is the concepts to process engineering. His group at Harvard of previous research on aqueous solutions. The inventor of “aquatic derived rate laws for oxidation processes, investigated concepts of surface complexation helped advance our chemistry”—a unifying the chemical aspects of coagulation, and advanced understanding of geochemical processes (such as approach in low-tempera- the understanding of corrosion processes. In his mineral dissolution) and were later validated and ture geochemistry and teaching, Werner was infl uenced by the Swedish refi ned by numerous spectroscopic studies. water technology. Together chemist Lars Gunnar Sillén and by scientifi c exchanges While his achievements in aquatic chemistry are still with James J. Morgan he with geochemists such as Heinrich Holland and well cited, Werner Stumm’s vision for interdisciplinary co-authored an infl uential Robert Garrels. While at Harvard, he wrote the classic research has left a much smaller footprint on the web textbook with the same textbook Aquatic Chemistry which appeared in 1970. of science. Nonetheless, as a director and professor title. He significantly In the same year, Werner Stumm moved back to he was tremendously infl uential in developing envi- advanced the fi eld of surface chemistry and had a Switzerland to become the director of Eawag, now ronmental science as an academic discipline. His 1980 broad vision for the discipline, one that anticipated renamed as the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic interview in Environmental Science & Technology and many developments in environmental science. Science and Technology. Together with Paul Schindler his 1986 article in Ambio (“Water, An Endangered Werner was born 1924 in Switzerland and earned his (University of Bern), Werner and his students Ecosystem”) read like blueprints for a biogeochemical PhD in chemistry from the University of Zurich in embarked on a new research program to transfer the research agenda. Together with a network of allies, 1952. His thesis focused on the use of ion-exchange concepts of complexation chemistry to the mineral– he pushed for a system-oriented education, the resins in analytical chemistry, which led to an initial water interface. They developed a simplifi ed electro- formation of interdisciplinary teams and the courage career as a solution chemist. With his enthusiasm to static model to derive equilibrium constants at to address global research questions. apply science to practical problems, he spent a post- charged aqueous surfaces and to describe the adsorp- Werner Stumm received many honours, including the doctoral year at Harvard University (USA) working on tion of cations and ligands in colloidal systems. Goldschmidt Medal, the Tyler Prize and the Stockholm iron corrosion and was hired shortly thereafter as an Werner promoted the idea of an “inner-sphere surface Water Prize. He died in 1999 and will be remembered assistant professor of sanitary chemistry. Between complex” as a paradigmatic shift from electrochem- for his forceful enthusiasm to shape geochemical 1956 and 1970, he developed a highly visible research istry towards coordination chemistry. This break- thinking. agenda focusing on the application of chemical through was fruitful because it could build on decades Bernhard Wehrli ([email protected]) ELEMENTS 202 JUNE 2015 In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Goldschmidt conference, a series of 25 special anniversary talks linked to each theme will highlight the greatest achievements over the past quarter century AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED AT GOLDSCHMIDT 2015 and a vision of where the specifi c geochemical fi eld may be going EUROPEAN GEOCHEMICAL GS/EAG in the future. ASSOCIATION OF SOCIETY The speakers will aim to give insightful overviews across the whole GEOCHEMISTRY of their geochemical fi eld, and motivate all of us to explore new research opportunities to advance geochemistry. We look forward to seeing you there. EUROPEAN 2015 GS/EAG GEOCHEMICAL FELLOWS GAST LECTURER: MINERALOGICAL UNION GOLDSCHMIDT Ann Pearson UREY MEDAL: MEDAL: Miriam (Harvard University, Albrecht W. Kastner (Scripps USA) Hofmann Institution of GEOCHEMICAL (Max-Planck-Institut Oceanography, USA) SOCIETY OF JAPAN für Chemie, Germany) Ariel Anbar (Arizona Gert de Lange State University, USA) (Utrecht University, 2014 EMU RESEARCH The Netherlands) EXCELLENCE MEDAL: Encarnación Ruiz- Agudo (University of Granada, Spain) PATTERSON MEDAL: GEOCHEMICAL SCIENCE INNOVATION Karen H. JOURNAL AWARD: INTERNATIONAL AWARD (Werner Johannesson (Tulane Haruna Sugahara ASSOCIATION OF Stumm Medal): University, USA)* (Japan Agency for GEOCHEMISTRY Philippe Van Marine-Earth Science Hai Cheng (Xi’an Cappellen (University and Technology) Jiatong University, Timothy W. Lyons of Waterloo, Canada)* China and University (University of SHEN-SU SUN of Minnesota, USA) California–Riverside, FOUNDATION USA) 2014 PATTERSON 2014 EBELMEN MEDAL: Christopher AWARD: Sophie M. Reddy (Woods Opfergelt (Université HOUTERMANS Hole Oceanographic Catholique de Louvain, Belgium) MEDAL: Caroline Institution, USA)* SHEN-SU SUN AWARD: Timothy Elliott Peacock (University Liping Qin (University of Bristol, Kathryn L. Nagy of Leeds, UK) (University of Science UK) (University of Illinois, and Technology of USA) China) CLARKE MEDAL: Anat Shahar (Carnegie DISTINGUISHED Institution of Monica M. Grady SERVICE AWARD: Washington, USA) (Open University, UK) Eiji Ohtani (Tohoku Christa Göpel University, Japan) (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France) * Medallists are also 2014 ALFRED TREIBS Erik Hauri named Geochemical MEDAL: Steve Larter (Carnegie Institute of Holly Stein (Colorado Fellows by virtue of (University of Calgary, Washington, USA) State University, USA) their medal. Canada)* ELEMENTS 203 JUNE 2015.