Susan Trumbore wins Benjamin Franklin Medal

Susan Trumbore, UCI professor of Earth system science, is one of eight 2018 recipients of the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth & Environmental Science, bestowed by the Franklin Institute. She was cited for her “pioneering use of radiocarbon measurements in forests and soils to assess the flow of carbon between the biosphere and atmosphere, with implications for the understanding of future climate change.” The Benjamin Franklin Medals are among the most prestigious prizes in the sciences. Previous winners include Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking. “I am honored and humbled to have been selected for the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth & Environmental Science for 2018,” said Trumbore, who is also managing director of the Department of Biogeochemical Processes at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Germany. “It’s particularly gratifying that the Franklin Institute recognized our work on how human actions alter the carbon balance of vegetation and soils. This is a group effort, and I’m grateful to my colleagues at UCI, at the MPI and all over the world for their efforts that made this possible.”