Congratulations 2023 GEOC Medal Winner Vicki Grassian
Vicki Grassian has earned the 2023 GEOC Medal Award for outstanding accomplishment in Geochemistry
Dr. Vicki Grassian
Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California San Diego
Vicki H. Grassian is currently a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California San Diego. Professor Grassian received her Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley, her M.S. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. degree from University at Albany-SUNY all in chemistry. Professor Grassian is a pioneer on geochemical aspects of the atmosphere. She has delineated the chemistry and impacts of relative humidity and mineralogy in the heterogeneous chemistry of mineral dust with trace gases, nutrient distribution through mineral dust aerosols and how mineral interfaces impact Earth’s climate through the nucleation of clouds. She has developed a library of infrared extinction spectra of abundant mineral aerosols used for remote sensing analysis. In addition to her research on mineral dust aerosol, Professor Grassian has also examined the role of nanoscale oxides including iron oxides, in dissolution behavior, nutrient cycling and surface chemistry. She has used molecular based approaches to guide these studies focusing on the role of nanomaterial surfaces, size dependent properties and the impacts of nanoscale oxides in human health and the environment.
Professor Grassian has given over 300 invited talks and presentations on her research including the 2019 ACS National Meeting Presidential Plenary Lecturer 2018 Florida State University – Hoffmann Lecture, 2015 Goldschmidt Conference Silver Anniversary Plenary Lecture, and keynote speaker for the 2012 Dorothy Crowfoot-Hodgkin Symposium at the University of Zurich. She has published over 350 peer-reviewed publications and 20 book chapters. She is a Fellow of several societies that include the American Chemical Society. She is also the recipient of several national and international awards for her research. Most recently, she was received the 2021 the American Chemical Society National Award in Surface Chemistry, 2020 Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization award, the 2019 recipient of the William H. Nichols Medal Award, IUPAC 2019 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award and 2018, she received the American Institute of Chemists Chemical Pioneer Award. She became an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020 and inducted into the academy in 2022.
Professor Grassian will be awarded the medal in a ceremony at the 260th ACS National Meeting in Indianapolis, ID (March 26-30, 2022). There will also be a symposium in her honor featuring work that honors her contributions in the areas of geochemistry.
ACS Geochemistry Division Medal
The GEOC Medal is awarded biennially to an individual for outstanding accomplishment in any field of geochemistry. The award consists of a bronze medallion and $2000. The awardee receives an allowance for travel to the award ceremony, as well as registration costs for the ACS meeting at which the award will be conferred.