ESS Professor David Catling elected as fellow of the Royal Society

David Catling, professor of Earth and Space Sciences (as well as adjunct professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science and interim director of the UW Astrobiology Program) has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society. Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the national academy of sciences of the United Kingdom and the world’s oldest continuous scientific academy, famous for its historic fellows including Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Benjamin Franklin and Dorothy Hodgkin, among many others.

Read the full press release at College of the Environment

ESS Professor David Catling elected as a Geochemistry Fellow

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.

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UW Earth and Space Sciences alumna Annie Bauer and Tara Smiley named 2026 Sloan Fellows

Two University of Washington alumna have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows are Dr. Annie Bauer (UW B.S. 2011), an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. Tara Smiley (UW B.S. 2007), an assistant professor at Stony Brook University.

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ESS alumna awarded Geological Society of America's prestigious Donath Medal for pioneering Earth science research

ESS alumna and Indiana University Bloomington Assistant Professor Dr. Julia Kelson was awarded the Geological Society of America’s 2025 Young Scientist Award. Kelson got her Ph.D. from UW Earth and Space Sciences in 2019, advised by Professor Kate Huntington.

Read more at Indiana University News

Baptiste Journaux awarded annual IAPWS Helmholtz award

ESS Assistant Professor Dr. Baptiste Journaux was recognized this past summer with the International Association for the Properties of Water & Steam’s Helmholtz Award.

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ESS researchers honored at 2025 AGU conference

Assistant Professors Joshua Krissansen-Totton and Michelle Muth have been awarded prestigious honors, to be given at the annual AGU gathering in New Orleans, LA in December, and Professor Fang-Zhen Teng was named an AGU Fellow.

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Eric Steig among 12 UW professors elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences

Twelve faculty members at the University of Washington — including Eric Steig, professor of Earth and space sciences in the College of the Environment — have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. They are among 36 scientists and educators from across the state announced July 17 as new members.

Read more at UW News

ESS introduces new alumni honors at the 2025 Awards Ceremony

This year, we are excited to introduce two new awards that acknowledge some of our excellent graduates: the Emerging Leader Award and the ESS Distinguished Graduate Award.

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ESS Research Scientist Scott Henderson awarded College of the Environment 2025 Distinguished Staff Award

ESS Research Scientist Scott Henderson was recognized this spring with the College of the Environment Distinguished Staff Member award. This award honors staff members for their outstanding achievements, service, leadership and dedication.

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ESS Professor Harold Tobin ‘Goes on Tour’ as Ocean Discovery Lecturer for 2024-2025 Academic Year

ESS professor Harold Tobin was selected as one of six distinguished lecturers for the Ocean Discovery Lecture Series during the 2024-2025 academic year.

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