Five scientists from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have been recognized by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for their significant contributions to various fields of Earth science, including ocean floor structure, deep Earth processes, sea-level change, and the ocean carbon cycle. AGU, a leading organization for Earth scientists, annually honors its members for excellence in research, education, and outreach. The honorees will be celebrated at the AGU's annual meeting, AGU26, which will take place from December 7 to 11 in San Francisco, with an awards ceremony scheduled for December 9.
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In addition to these recognitions, three Lamont scientists received honors earlier this year from other organizations: Maureen Raymo was awarded the Nemmers Prize in Earth Science, Michael Kaplan received the Guggenheim Fellowship, and Folarin Kolawole earned awards from National Geographic, the Geological Society of America, and the National Association of Black Geoscientists.
William B. F. Ryan has been awarded the Maurice Ewing Medal, one of AGU’s highest distinctions. This honor is presented annually to a senior scientist who has made significant contributions to ocean sciences through research, technology, and mentoring. Ryan, a senior scholar and research scientist specializing in marine and polar geophysics, has dedicated over 60 years to Lamont. He has made key discoveries, such as evidence of a desiccated Mediterranean Sea about 6 million years ago and the theory of a catastrophic flood filling the Black Sea roughly 7,500 years ago. An AGU member since 1974, Ryan was recognized as an AGU Fellow in 2002.
Jacqueline Austermann, associate professor at Columbia's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and researcher at Lamont, has received the James B. Macelwane Medal, AGU’s top award for early-career scientists. Her research focuses on how internal Earth processes affect surface phenomena, such as ice sheet behavior and sea-level changes. Austermann's work emphasizes the importance of historical sea levels in understanding past ice sheet dynamics and forecasting future responses to climate changes.
Gisela Winckler, a professor at the Columbia Climate School and researcher in Lamont’s Geochemistry Division, has been elected as an AGU Fellow, a distinction awarded to only 0.1% of AGU members annually. As a geochemist and paleoclimatologist, she studies climate history through seafloor and lake sediments and ice cores, utilizing chemical tracers to examine ocean circulation and climate interactions.
Galen McKinley, also elected as an AGU Fellow, specializes in oceanography. Her research addresses the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide emitted by human activities, utilizing a mix of observational data, large datasets, and computer models to understand oceanic carbon dynamics in the context of climate change.
Renata Wentzcovitch has been honored as a Distinguished Lecturer of the AGU College of Fellows for the 2026–27 academic year. A professor at Columbia's Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, she is recognized for her work in geophysics and computational materials science. Wentzcovitch's research employs quantum mechanics and supercomputers to simulate the Earth's mantle, aiding in the understanding of mineral behavior under extreme conditions.