Professor Rosalind Rickaby OBE FRS
Professor Rosalind Rickaby is Chair of Geology, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford. Ros has pioneered an interdisciplinary blend of biology and chemistry to resolve questions of past climates, evolution, and the future of the phytoplankton.
She has authored over 150 papers and co-authored the book, ‘Evolution’s Destiny: Co-evolving chemistry of the environment and life’.
Awards and nominations:
- 2008 European Geosciences Union’s Outstanding Young Scientist award
- 2010 American Geophysical Union’s James B. Macelwane Award for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist
- Lyell Award of the Geological Society of London (2016)
- Wolfson Research Merit Award from the Royal Society
- Awarded OBE in 2025 New Year Honours
Recent quote from OBE award in December, 2024:
“I am absolutely gobsmacked, humbled and hugely grateful to receive this recognition from His Royal Highness, King Charles. It has been truly a thrill to uncover the power of the plankton in maintaining a habitable Earth, and to appreciate the importance of planetary-scale thinking for plotting forward pathways. All of my research, and indeed my life, has flourished through the support of, and interactions with brilliant older and younger minds from across the world. I hope that the entire team can share in a warm swell of pride as we continue the push towards a sustainable future”.