Steven L. Goldstein

BIOGRAPHY:

Professor Steven L. Goldstein is Higgins Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences. In addition to his teaching, Professor Goldstein is also one of the leaders of the Isotope Geochemistry Lab at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. His research utilizes the products of natural radioactive decay to determine the timing of events and as tracers of Earth processes. Routinely used isotopic approaches include Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Th-U-Pb, Lu-Hf, radiocarbon, and intermediate products of U-decay. These tools can be applied across the geosciences and across geological time, and Professor Goldstein’s research has addressed a wide range of topics ranging from the early history of the Earth to recent climate change. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed papers. Professor Goldstein is a recipient of the American Geophysical Union’s Norman L. Bowen Award “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the fields of volcanology, geochemistry, and petrology,” and is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geochemical Society/European Association of Geochemistry. He is also a recipient of Columbia’s Lenfest Distinguished Faculty Award. He especially appreciates two awards: the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Graduate Student Committee of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates. Prior to coming to Columbia in 1996, Professor Goldstein was Staff Scientist at the Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie in Mainz Germany, in the Geochemistry Division. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1986, his M.A. from Harvard in 1978, and his B.A. from Columbia College in 1976.