FASB 295 and on Zoom.

To participate via Zoom, register at https://utah.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcscOurrjMpHdQY-6L81WvBK0jX8N1oKElI

“From the illegal ivory trade to nuclear waste – an improbable journey by an accidental geologist”

Abstract: Sometimes science questions seem to choose us. In this talk I will discuss my involvement in problems related to nuclear waste, the illegal wildlife trade, and other unexpected turns in my career as a geologist.

Thure Cerling is Distinguished Professor of Geology & Geophysics and Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Utah. Through his pioneering scientific career and his decades of dedication to sharing his knowledge with colleagues around the world, Cerling has been instrumental in expanding the use of stable isotopes as a tool in geoscience and biology. Using stable isotopes, he has devised innovative methods to understand the paleoecology of early human sites in East Africa, determined the timing of floods in the Grand Canyon, and discovered a major global transition in vegetation types 7 million years ago. By one metric of research publication impact, Cerling’s more than 300 scientific papers represent an exceptionally productive and remarkably influential career. Cerling’s notable list of awards includes the 2020 Emile Argand Award from the International Union of Geological Sciences, the 2017 President’s Medal from the Geological Society of America, the 2012 Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology, and the 2022 Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, the University of Utah’s highest faculty accolade.