Recently, the Geochemical Society (GS) and the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) officially awarded Professor Jiubin Chen from the School of Earth System Science at Tianjin University the 2024 Paul W. Gast Lecture Prize. This prestigious award, established jointly by GS and EAG, is named after the renowned American scholar Paul Werner Gast and aims to recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the field of geochemistry during their careers. Since its inception in 1979, a total of 28 distinguished scientists from around the world have received this honor. Professor Jiubin Chen is the first Chinese scholar to be awarded this accolade. As part of the award, Professor Chen will deliver a plenary lecture at the 2024 Goldschmidt Conference, an international geochemistry event, and receive the award certificate.
Specializing in the environmental geochemistry of metal (non-traditional) stable isotopes, Professor Chen upholds a systematic study that starts from methodological development to theoretical advancements and eventually to addressing frontier issues. He has established analytical methods for isotopes such as zinc, mercury, and gallium, and made breakthroughs in areas such as metal isotope fractionation in environmental processes and applications in modern, ancient environments, and life sciences. He has led projects funded by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and key R&D programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology. He is the recipient of the First Prize of Natural Science in Tianjin and the Kharaka Award from the International Association of GeoChemistry (IAGC). Prof. Chen also serves as a member of the expert panel for the National Key R&D Program's "Atmospheric Special Project" during the 13th Five-Year Plan and the "Water-Soil-Gas Special Project" during the 14th Five-Year Plan. Additionally, he is the executive deputy editor-in-chief for the geoscience and environmental domain of the journal National Science Open, and an associate editor for Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta and Applied Geochemistry.
Paul W. Gast (1930-1973) is an internationally renowned geochemist who pioneered several fields in geochemical research during his career. He was among the first to study rare earth elements in the Earth's crust, mantle, and stellar interiors, and developed rubidium-strontium and uranium-lead radiometric dating methods, applying them to lunar samples. His research on trace elements significantly advanced the understanding of volcanic fluid origins. Paul W. Gast was also the first scientist to receive the V. M. Goldschmidt Award, the highest honor in geochemistry.
More information on the Geochemical Society's website: https://www.geochemsoc.org/honors/special-lectures/gastlectureseries
More information on the European Association of Geochemistry's website: https://www.eag.eu.com/awards/gast-lecture
2024 Goldschmidt Conference: https://conf.goldschmidt.info/goldschmidt/2024/goldschmidt/2024/meetingapp.cgi/ModuleMeetingInfo/Plenaries
By Li Jiaqi
Editor: Eva Yin
