August 29, 2023
Ruth is a marine and environmental biogeochemist, geomicrobiologist, and planetary scientist who has held a faculty appointment at Yale since 2000. In addition to her primary appointment in EPS, she also holds appointments in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department and in the School of the Environment.
Ruth is an expert in the fields of aqueous geochemistry and microbiology, and is particularly well known for her work on phosphorous cycling, water-rock-microbial interactions, and DNA thermometry. In 2022, a newly discovered bacterial phylum, Blakebacterota, was named in her honor, as one of a set of “contemporary female scientists that have made substantial contributions to our understanding of the deep ocean” (Gong et al., 2022). In addition to her scientific achievements, she is well known for her exceptional work in public education and outreach and in the DEI space, for which she was awarded the FAS Dean’s Award for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging last year.
Congratulations, Ruth - it’s excellent to see your achievements recognized in this way!