Biography:Richard Lawrence Edwards
Richard Lawrence Edwards | |
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| Other names | Larry Edwards, R. Lawrence Edwards |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Improving uranium-thorium dating techniques |
| Awards | Arthur L. Day Prize and Lectureship of the National Academy of Sciences
Fellow National Academy of Sciences National Medal of Science |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geochemical Principles, Isotope Geology, Uranium–thorium dating |
| Thesis | High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary (1988) |
| Doctoral advisor | Gerald J. Wasserburg |
| Website | https://cse.umn.edu/esci/r-lawrence-edwards |
Richard Lawrence "Larry" Edwards is an American geochemist and Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota.[1] He is one of the most cited and respected geochemists in the world,[2] and is well-known for his contributions to modernizing the uranium-thorium (Th-230) radiometric dating technique.[2]
Edwards earned his Ph.D from the California Institute of Technology in 1988 after studying under Gerald J. Wasserburg.[3] His thesis, entitled High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary, discusses the usage of Th-230 dating in the examination of corals at Santo and Malekula Islands, Vanuatu.[3]
Edwards has made notable contributions to anthropology through dating a jawbone at 100000 years old, suggesting that modern humans had inhabited the area of China where the bone was found earlier than previously thought.[4] His collaborations with geochemist Hai Cheng have led to the largest number of environmental science papers published in Nature Index journals by a pair of geochemists.[5]
On January 3rd, 2025, Dr. Edwards received the National Medal of Science.[6]
References
- ↑ "R. Lawrence Edwards" (in en). https://cse.umn.edu/esci/r-lawrence-edwards.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "These two geochemists have one of the largest publishing networks in science" (in en). 2020-06-26. https://www.nature.com/nature-index/news/these-two-geochemists-have-one-of-the-largest-publishing-networks-in-science-environmental-earth-research.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Edwards, Richard Lawrence (1988). High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary (phd thesis). California Institute of Technology.
- ↑ "R. Lawrence 'Larry' Edwards" (in en). 2015-09-08. https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/r-lawrence-larry-edwards.
- ↑ "These two geochemists have one of the largest publishing networks in science" (in en). 2020-06-26. https://www.nature.com/nature-index/news/these-two-geochemists-have-one-of-the-largest-publishing-networks-in-science-environmental-earth-research.
- ↑ "President Biden Honors Nation’s Leading Scientists, Technologists, and Innovators | The White House". 2025-01-04. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/03/president-biden-honors-nations-leading-scientists-technologists-and-innovators/.
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