Elizabeth Middleton | Earth and Planetary Sciences | Best Researcher Award

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Elizabeth Middleton | Earth and Planetary Sciences | Best Researcher Award

University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD, USA | United States

Dr. Elizabeth M. Middleton is a distinguished research scientist and senior research consultant at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), with decades of leadership in carbon dynamics, photobiology, and vegetation remote sensing, including spectroscopy and fluorescence-based satellite observation. Over her extensive career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) , she made pioneering contributions to global-scale ecosystem monitoring and Earth observation missions. She served in several key roles, including Project Manager of the Eastern Regional Remote Sensing Applications Center, Principal Investigator for major projects such as the Boreal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) in Canada and NASA’s Carbon Cycle Science Program, and Deputy Project Manager for the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA). As EO-1 Mission Scientist for NASA’s Earth Observer-1 satellite and GSFC Lead Scientist for the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) concept, she was instrumental in advancing satellite technologies for monitoring ecosystem productivity. Her research has significantly enhanced understanding of light use efficiency, vegetation fluorescence, and biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Dr. Middleton has also contributed as a member of the European Space Agency’s Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) advisory group and as co-investigator in joint NASA/ESA field campaigns. An active member of several professional societies including ESA, AIBS, IEEE, and AGU, she has served as guest editor for multiple leading journals in remote sensing and as a reviewer and panelist for numerous scientific programs. Recognized through numerous NASA awards—including the Exceptional Service Medal and the Nordberg Award for Outstanding Earth Science—her career embodies scientific excellence and sustained contributions to advancing ecological and atmospheric research through remote sensing innovation.

Profile: Scopus 

Featured Publications

Huemmrich, K. F., Campbell, P. E. K., Harding, D. J., Ranson, K. J., Wynne, R., Thomas, V., & Middleton, E. M. (2022). Evaluating approaches relating ecosystem productivity with DESIS spectral information. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLVI-1/W1-2021, 31–37.

Huemmrich, K. F., Campbell, P. K., Landis, D. R., & Middleton, E. M. (2019). Developing a common globally applicable method for optical remote sensing of ecosystem light use efficiency. Remote Sensing of Environment, 230, 111190.

Huemmrich, K. F., Campbell, P., Vargas, S. A., Sackett, S., Unger, S., May, J., Tweedie, C., Joiner, J., Yoshida, Y., & Middleton, E. (2022). Leaf-level chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance spectra of high latitude plants. Environmental Research Communications, 4(3), 035001.

Joiner, J., Yoshida, Y., Anderson, M., Holmes, T., Hain, C., Reichle, R., Koster, R., Middleton, E., & Zeng, F. (2018). Global relationships between satellite-derived solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), traditional vegetation indices (NDVI and NDII), evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture anomalies. Remote Sensing of Environment, 219, 339–352

Nichol, C. J., Drolet, G., Porcar-Castell, A., Maclellan, C., Wade, T., Sabater, N., Middleton, E. M., MacLellan, C., Levula, J., Mammarella, I., Vesala, T., & Atherton, J. A. (2019). Diurnal and seasonal solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence in a boreal Scots pine canopy. Remote Sensing, 11(3), 273.

Sabater, N., Vicent, J., Alonso, L., Verrelst, J., Middleton, E. M., Atherton, J., Porcar-Castell, A., & Moreno, J. (2018). Compensation of oxygen transmittance effects for proximal sensing retrieval of canopy-leaving sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence. Remote Sensing, 10(10), 1551.

Loren Babcock | Earth and Planetary Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Citation Awards

Loren Babcock | Earth and Planetary Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Loren Babcock, The Ohio State University, United States

Dr. Loren E. Babcock is a distinguished American paleontologist and professor at The Ohio State University, renowned for his extensive work on evolutionary history through exceptional fossil deposits. With a research portfolio spanning the Cambrian Explosion to Ice Age extinctions, he explores predator-prey dynamics, biomineralization, and extinction drivers. He has significantly contributed to refining the geologic time scale and understanding fossil preservation processes. Babcock has led international stratigraphic commissions and conducted fieldwork across North America, Greenland, and Asia. His role as Director of the Orton Geological Museum and his commitment to science education highlight his leadership in academia and outreach. He is a fellow of prestigious scientific societies and has received numerous honors for both research and public service. Widely published and internationally recognized, Dr. Babcock’s multidisciplinary contributions continue to shape paleobiological and geological scholarship worldwide.

Publication Profile

scopus

Education

Dr. Loren E. Babcock earned his Ph.D. in Geology with honors from the University of Kansas in 1990, specializing in Paleontology. His doctoral research laid the foundation for his future work in fossil preservation and evolutionary events. He completed his M.S. in Geology with a concentration in Paleontology at Kent State University in 1986, focusing on critical paleobiological analysis. Dr. Babcock began his academic journey with a B.S. in Geology and Biology from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1983, where he developed his interdisciplinary approach to understanding ancient life and Earth‘s processes. His educational trajectory reflects a consistent and deepening commitment to integrating geological sciences with biological evolution, positioning him as a leading figure in studying evolutionary dynamics and the fossil record. Each degree has contributed to his expertise in stratigraphy, paleontology, and taphonomy, laying the groundwork for a prolific academic and research career.

Experience

Dr. Babcock has been a faculty member at The Ohio State University since 1990, progressing from Assistant to Full Professor. He currently serves as Director of the Orton Geological Museum. He chaired the Division of Geological Sciences (2006–2009) and was Chair (2012–2020) and Secretary (2004–2012) of the International Subcommission on Cambrian Stratigraphy, a UNESCO initiative. He was also a Guest Professor at Lund University, Sweden (2010–2017), and held adjunct roles at Otterbein University and Columbus College of Art & Design. His visiting appointments include Cornell University and the Paleontological Research Institution. Throughout his career, Dr. Babcock has led educational and scientific programs that bridge research with public engagement. His leadership within both academic institutions and international organizations has significantly influenced global stratigraphic standards, geologic education, and public understanding of paleontology. His administrative experience reflects a commitment to academic excellence, interdisciplinary teaching, and international collaboration in earth sciences.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Loren E. Babcock has received multiple prestigious awards throughout his career. In 2025, he earned the Best Researcher Award in Network Science and Graph Analytics for his work on sarcopterygian fishes. In 2024, he was honored with the Best Researcher Award in Earth and Planetary Sciences for his publication on Megalonyx Jefferson. He became a Fellow of The Paleontological Society in 2005 and the Geological Society of America in 1997. He was awarded the Charles Schuchert Award (2001) and Erasmus Haworth Alumni Award (2008). Other accolades include the President’s Citation from SEPM (2006), Antarctica Service Medal (2007), and the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (1993). He was a Distinguished Lecturer for The Paleontological Society (1993–1994) and was elected to the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals in 2023. These awards reflect his outstanding contributions to paleontology, public outreach, and international scientific collaboration.

Research Focus

Dr. Babcock’s research investigates major evolutionary milestones through exceptional fossil deposits known as Lagerstätten. A primary question guiding his work is the role of predator-prey relationships in evolutionary and extinction events. His core research spans three pivotal periods: (1) the Cambrian explosion and the role of predator-prey dynamics in marine diversification; (2) the rise of jawed fishes during the Devonian–Carboniferous and their ecological impacts; and (3) the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna like giant sloths and dire wolves due to climate shifts and human activities. He also advances global stratigraphic correlation, refining Earth‘s geologic calendar. Additional interests include fossilization processes, biomineralization, biologic asymmetry, taphonomy of arthropods (especially trilobites), and the evolution of early biomineralizing organisms. His work combines field data, sedimentology, biostratigraphy, and geochemical methods, contributing foundational insights to paleobiology, geochronology, and Earth history. Dr. Babcock’s interdisciplinary approach continues to redefine our understanding of the ancient biosphere.

Publication Top Notes

  • 🦑 Phylogenetic Affinities of Echmatocrinus brachiatus (Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, Canada)

  • 🕷️ Early Cambrian Chelicerate Arthropod from China

  • 🧬 Cambrian Trilobite Biostratigraphy and Its Role in Developing an Integrated History of the Earth System

  • 🧽 Siliceous Spicules in a Vauxiid Sponge (Demospongia) from the Kaili Biota (Cambrian Stage 5), Guizhou, South China

  • 🐚 Systematics and Palaeobiology of Some Cambrian Hyoliths from Guizhou, China, and Nevada, USA

  • 🦐 Exceptionally Preserved Mickwitzia from the Indian Springs Lagerstätte (Cambrian Stage 3), Nevada and Implications for Early Cambrian Brachiopod Evolution

  • 🦠 Microorganism-Mediated Preservation of Planolites, a Common Trace Fossil from the Harkless Formation, Cambrian of Nevada, USA

  • 🐾 A Diverse High-Latitude Ichnofauna from the Permian Pagoda and Mackellar Formations (Beacon Supergroup), Shackleton Glacier Area, Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

  • 🪸 Exceptionally Preserved Conchopeltis (Cnidaria) from the Ordovician of New York, USA: Taphonomic Inferences

  • 🦴 Palaeobiology, Taphonomy, and Stratigraphic Significance of the Trilobite Buenellus from the Sirius Passet Biota, Cambrian of North Greenland

  • 🐟 Feeding Behaviour of Two Ordovician Trilobites Inferred from Trace Fossils and Non-Biomineralised Anatomy, Ohio and Kentucky, USA

  • 🧬 Morphology, Ontogeny and Distribution of the Cambrian Series 2 Ellipsocephalid Trilobite Strenuaeva spinosa from Scandinavia

  • 🦠 Exceptionally Preserved Biota from a Carbonate Lithofacies, Huaqiao Formation (Cambrian: Drumian Stage), Hunan, China

  • 🪨 Revised Stratigraphic Nomenclature for Parts of the Ediacaran-Cambrian Series 2 Succession in the Southern Great Basin, USA

  • 🐚 Systematics, Paleobiology, and Taphonomy of Some Exceptionally Preserved Trilobites from Cambrian Lagerstätten of Utah

  • 🐾 Paleoecology of Commensal Epizoans Fouling Flexicalymene (Trilobita) from the Upper Ordovician, Cincinnati Arch Region, USA