In early February, the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) awarded the H.C. Urey Prize to Janne Blichert-Toft, CNRS Research Director at LGL-TPE. Janne Blichert-Toft has made a major contribution to the advancement of knowledge in geochemistry, particularly in the study of planetary mantles and the Earth's crust.
A major award to add to an already rich list of distinctions: at the beginning of February, the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) awarded Janne Blichert-Toft the H.C Urey Prize. In awarding her its highest distinction, the EAG recognizes the outstanding contributions the geochemist, CNRS Research Director affiliated to the Laboratory of Geology of Lyon: Earth, Planets, Environment (CNRS/ENS de Lyon/Claude Bernard Lyon 1 university / Jean Monnet University), has made to the improvement of geochemistry over her career.
Leading light in the study of planetary mantles and crustal evolution on Earth and other Solar System bodies (e.g. Mars), Janne Blichert-Toft has helped pioneer bold new applications of isotope geochemistry. She is an unwavering supporter of the field of geochemistry in Europe and throughout the world, as exemplified by her generous devotion to supervising students and postdoctoral scholars, dutiful service to professional organizations, and leadership on journal editorial boards.
A member of various learned societies in France and abroad, Janne Blichert-Toft was elected "Geochemistry Fellow" by the EAG and the American Geochemical Society in 2010. In 2012, she received the CNRS Silver Medal and became a member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), which awarded her the Harry H. Hess Medal ten years later. 2022 was also the year she received the Dolomieu Prize from the French Academy of Sciences, becoming the first woman to be awarded this prize. In 2023, she was elected a Fellow of the American Mineralogical Society.
The 2024 Urey Medal Lecture will be presented at the Goldschmidt2025 Conference in Prague.
About the H.C. Urey Award
The H.C. Urey Award is bestowed annually by the EAG for outstanding contributions advancing geochemistry over a career. It is named in honor of Harold Clayton Urey, an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 and later led him to theories of planetary evolution. The award is based on scientific excellence as well as the broader impacts candidates have made in their careers to date.
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