Tucson Standard

Jay Quade, a professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. This prestigious nonprofit society honors distinguished scholars for their significant contributions to science. Quade was recognized for his work in geosciences, which enhances understanding of Earth's historical environments.

The academy announced 120 new members and 24 international members on April 30. Quade is the only new member from the University of Arizona.

"I really see this in the context of the department (of geosciences). This would not have happened without being in this department," Quade stated. "I'm very lucky to be working with a high functioning and a very interactive faculty."

Quade's research spans several interdisciplinary fields within geosciences and anthropology, focusing on geochemical aspects of soils, weathering processes, radiocarbon dating, and paleohydrology. His global contributions include studying climate evolution and landscapes over the past 60 million years and researching early hominids in Africa. He has pioneered geochemical isotopic methods to investigate changes in Earth's crust.

After completing graduate studies at the University of Arizona and earning his doctorate from the University of Utah in 1990, Quade joined UArizona as an assistant professor in 1992. He also served as director of the Tumamoc Desert Laboratory. His work includes developing advanced laboratory systems for radiocarbon dating ancient samples.

"Every project unfolded quite naturally – I like pursuing scientific questions, and the productivity came as a natural result," Quade remarked.

Looking ahead, Quade plans to participate in a Greek archaeology project in Turkey and another project near The Dead Sea in Israel.

"Jay Quade's work in geosciences has been transformational," said Joellen Russell, Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Geosciences. "We couldn't be prouder of our dear friend and colleague, and it's wonderful that the National Academy of Sciences recognized Jay’s profound impact on our field and our planet."

Quade has published numerous scientific papers with nearly 30,000 citations. In 2015, he became a fellow of both the American Geophysical Union and Geological Society of America. In 2018, he received the Arthur L. Day Medal from the Geological Society of America for outstanding achievements applying physics and chemistry to geological problems.