February 22, 2017
Jill Banfield, professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley, will receive the 2017 V. M. Goldschmidt Award this summer. The Goldschmidt Award recognizes major achievements in geochemistry or cosmochemistry consisting of either a single outstanding contribution or a series of publications that have had great influence on the field. Prof. Banfield studies the structure, metabolic potential and functioning of natural microbial communities in sediments, soil, water, biofilms and animals. She develops and applies new methods in molecular geomicrobiology and microbial ecology. She also studies nanoparticle formation and the behavior of nanoparticles and clay minerals in the natural environment (nanogeoscience). The award will be formally presented at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference in Paris, France this August.