The Geochemical Society Gives Award to Stanford University’s Karen Casciotti

Karen Casciotti , a professor of Earth system science at the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences at Stanford University, has been awarded the third annual John Hayes Award from the Geochemical Society. The award is granted to a mid-career scientist who draws together multiple fields of investigation to advance biogeochemical science.

Dr. Casciotti was recognized for her innovative research on the marine nitrogen cycle. Her work explores the production and consumption of nitrate and nitrite – vital nutrients for marine photosynthesis.

“It has been such an honor for me to receive this award, as John was a great mentor early in my career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,” Dr. Casciotti said. “I learned so much from him, and still use his course notes in my marine stable isotopes class to teach fundamental concepts and applications of isotopic fractionation.”

Professor Casciotti joined the faculty at Stanford University in 2011. She is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, where she majored in environmental science. She earned a master’s degree in oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California. Dr. Casciotti holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in geosciences from Princeton University in New Jersey.