Alexandra Navrotsky
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Navrotsky is a physical chemist in the field of nanogeoscience
. She is an elected member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
(NAS). She was a board member of the Earth Sciences and Resources division of the NAS from 1995 until 2000.
In 2005, she was awarded the Urey Medal, by the European Association of Geochemistry.
In 2006, she was awarded the Harry H. Hess Medal, by the American Geophysical Union.
She is currently the director of NEAT ORU (Nanomaterials in Environment, Agriculture, and Technology Organized Research Unit), a primary program in nanogeoscience. She is Distinguished Professor at University of California, Davis
.
in New York. She received B.S. (1963), M.S. (1964), and Ph.D. (1967) in physical chemistry from University of Chicago
. In 1967, she went to Germany for postdoctoral work. She came back to the U.S. in 1968 and continued her postdoctoral work at Pennsylvania State University
. Then she joined the Chemistry faculty at Arizona State University
, for approximately five consecutive years. Later on, she moved to the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences at Princeton University
in 1985. She became the chair of that department from 1988 to 1991. In 1997, she moved to University of California at Davis and became an Interdisciplinary Professor of Ceramic, Earth, and Environmental Materials Chemistry. In 2001, she was chosen as the Edward Roessler Chair in Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Her specializations include: Solid-state chemistry
, Ceramics, Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Geochemistry
.
facility. She has also designed and enhanced the instrumentation. Navrotsky introduced and applied the method for measuring the energetics of crystalline oxides of glasses, amorphous, nanophase material
, porous materials of hydrous phases and carbonates also more recently nitrides and oxynitrides. Obtaining the thermo chemical data is used to understand the compatibility and reactivity of materials in technological and geological application. The energetics provides insight into chemical bonding, order-disorder reactions, and phase transitions.
Navrotsky's calorimetry has also been used in providing thermo chemical data for a variety of perovskite
-related phases which has major consequences for convection
and evolution on a planetary scale.
One of Navrotsky's works has shown that many zeolitic and mesoporous phases have energies only slightly higher than those of their stable dense polymorphs
. The energy is associated with the presence or absence of strained bond angles not with the density.
along with their dependence of temperature and pressure. She is also looking into the application of nanomaterials in geochemical pollutant transport in the air as it relates to the global climate change.
Nanogeoscience
Nanogeoscience is the study of nanoscale phenomena related to geological systems. Predominantly, this is interrogated by studying environmental nanoparticles between 1-100 nanometers in size. Other applicable fields of study include studying materials with at least one dimension restricted to...
. She is an elected member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(NAS). She was a board member of the Earth Sciences and Resources division of the NAS from 1995 until 2000.
In 2005, she was awarded the Urey Medal, by the European Association of Geochemistry.
In 2006, she was awarded the Harry H. Hess Medal, by the American Geophysical Union.
She is currently the director of NEAT ORU (Nanomaterials in Environment, Agriculture, and Technology Organized Research Unit), a primary program in nanogeoscience. She is Distinguished Professor at University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
.
Early life and Career
She graduated from Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
in New York. She received B.S. (1963), M.S. (1964), and Ph.D. (1967) in physical chemistry from University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. In 1967, she went to Germany for postdoctoral work. She came back to the U.S. in 1968 and continued her postdoctoral work at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Then she joined the Chemistry faculty at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, for approximately five consecutive years. Later on, she moved to the Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1985. She became the chair of that department from 1988 to 1991. In 1997, she moved to University of California at Davis and became an Interdisciplinary Professor of Ceramic, Earth, and Environmental Materials Chemistry. In 2001, she was chosen as the Edward Roessler Chair in Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Her specializations include: Solid-state chemistry
Solid-state chemistry
Solid-state chemistry, also sometimes referred to as materials chemistry, is the study of the synthesis, structure, and properties of solid phase materials, particularly, but not necessarily exclusively of, non-molecular solids...
, Ceramics, Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Geochemistry
Geochemistry
The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and...
.
Research in Geochemistry Related Field
Since 1997, she has built a unique high temperature calorimetryCalorimetry
Calorimetry is the science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes. Calorimetry is performed with a calorimeter. The word calorimetry is derived from the Latin word calor, meaning heat...
facility. She has also designed and enhanced the instrumentation. Navrotsky introduced and applied the method for measuring the energetics of crystalline oxides of glasses, amorphous, nanophase material
Nanophase material
Nanophase materials are materials that have grain sizes under 100 nanometres. They have different mechanical and optical properties compared to the large grained materials of the same chemical composition....
, porous materials of hydrous phases and carbonates also more recently nitrides and oxynitrides. Obtaining the thermo chemical data is used to understand the compatibility and reactivity of materials in technological and geological application. The energetics provides insight into chemical bonding, order-disorder reactions, and phase transitions.
Navrotsky's calorimetry has also been used in providing thermo chemical data for a variety of perovskite
Perovskite
A perovskite structure is any material with the same type of crystal structure as calcium titanium oxide , known as the perovskite structure, or XIIA2+VIB4+X2−3 with the oxygen in the face centers. Perovskites take their name from this compound, which was first discovered in the Ural mountains of...
-related phases which has major consequences for convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
and evolution on a planetary scale.
One of Navrotsky's works has shown that many zeolitic and mesoporous phases have energies only slightly higher than those of their stable dense polymorphs
Polymorphism (materials science)
Polymorphism in materials science is the ability of a solid material to exist in more than one form or crystal structure. Polymorphism can potentially be found in any crystalline material including polymers, minerals, and metals, and is related to allotropy, which refers to chemical elements...
. The energy is associated with the presence or absence of strained bond angles not with the density.
Working with Nanomaterials
Her research is mainly focused on the structure and the stability of both natural and synthetic nanomaterialsNanomaterials
Nanomaterials is a field that takes a materials science-based approach to nanotechnology. It studies materials with morphological features on the nanoscale, and especially those that have special properties stemming from their nanoscale dimensions...
along with their dependence of temperature and pressure. She is also looking into the application of nanomaterials in geochemical pollutant transport in the air as it relates to the global climate change.
Awards, Fellowships, and Achievements
- Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (1973)
- Mineralogical Society of America Award and Fellow (1981)
- American Geophysical Union Fellow (1988)
- Member, National Academy of Sciences (1993)
- President, Mineralogical Society of America (1992–1993)
- Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Uppsala, Sweden (1995)
- Ross Coffin Purdy Award, American Ceramic Society Fellow (1995)
- Geochemical Society Fellow (1997)
- Alexander M. Cruickshank Award, Gordon Research Conference (2000)
- Hugh Huffman Memorial Award, The Calorimetry Conference (2000)
- Ceramic Educational Council Outstanding Educator Award (2000)
- American Ceramic Society Fellow (2001)
- American Ceramic Society, Best Paper Award of the Nuclear and Environmental Technology Division (2001)
- Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth Science (2002)
- Highly Cited Researchers Award, ISI Thomson Scientific (2002)
- Fellow, The Mineralogical Society (Great Britain) (2004)
- Urey Medal, European Association of Geochemistry (EAG) (2005)
- Spriggs Phase Equilibria Award, American Ceramic Society(ACerS)(2005)
- Rossini Award, International Association of Chemical Thermodynamics (IACT)(2006)
- Harry H. Hess Medalist, American Geophysical Union (AGU)(2006)
- Roebling Award, Mineralogical Society of America(2009)