College of the Environment

Professor David Catling of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences has been elected as a 2026 Geochemical Fellow of the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry. This international award is bestowed upon outstanding scientists who have made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry. Only about 380 geochemists worldwide have been honored with this esteemed recognition. The award will be presented at the society’s Goldschmidt Conference held in Montréal, Québec, in July 2026.

Catling was named a Fellow in recognition of his fundamental contributions to understanding the co-evolution of Earth’s environment and its biota. His keen insights shine new light on the crucial role of free oxygen in the evolution of life and how the early environment may have sparked the origin of life.