Jeff Catalano, professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, was elected a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA). The honor recognizes Catalano’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of the fields of mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry and petrology. Each year, the MSA selects at most 0.5% of their members as new fellows.
“Being elected a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America is a great honor,” Catalano said. “My research sits at the boundary between the fields of mineralogy and geochemistry. While many of the questions I pursue focus on the chemistry of Earth and other planets, I am a mineralogist by training and in how I approach science.”
Catalano’s research focuses on the geochemistry and mineralogy of terrestrial and planetary aquatic systems. Catalano and his lab group aim to understand element and nutrient cycling in wetlands; the fate of environmental contaminants; and mineral weathering and transformations on Earth, Mars and other planetary bodies. They also are part of the collaborative Earth First Origins project, which seeks to explore the conditions on early Earth that gave rise to life.
