Rensselaer Appoints Geochemist Morgan Schaller Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Rensselaer Appoints Geochemist Morgan Schaller Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Troy, N.Y. – Morgan Schaller has been appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences within the School of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Schaller joins Rensselaer from Rutgers University.
Schaller researches the history of the Earth system and changes in the climate over long timescales.
“Dr. Schaller’s research, which uses sophisticated methods to study how our planet and its atmosphere exchange carbon and other elements over different timescales, is critical to understanding the mechanisms responsible for the current changes in Earth’s climate,” said Curt Breneman, dean of the School of Science. “He is a promising researcher whose innovative work is focused on an increasingly important field, and we are pleased to welcome him to Rensselaer.”
Schaller uses stable isotopes to trace the interaction and transfer of elements through the atmosphere, biosphere, and solid earth. He has investigated the atmospheric effect of ancient, continental-scale volcanic eruptions, and subsequent changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases due to chemical weathering. His focus is largely on changes in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide over long timescales with the goal of better understanding what ultimately controls the transfer of gases between the solid earth and the atmosphere. He also studies ancient analogs for our modern increase in greenhouse gas concentrations.
“Through most of Earth’s history, climates were quite a bit warmer than today,” said Schaller. “Understanding how the earth behaves during these so-called ‘hot-house’ states, where atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were high, is important – the case is extreme, but that may be where we’re eventually headed.”
In his work, Schaller has been funded by the National Science Foundation and has published research in journals such as Science, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Chemical Geology.
Schaller received bachelor’s degrees in biology and in geology from Binghamton University, and earned a master’s degree in hydrogeology and a doctoral degree in geochemistry from Rutgers University.
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Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America’s first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, over 30 research centers, more than 140 academic programs including 25 new programs, and a dynamic community made up of over 6,800 students and 104,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include upwards of 155 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit www.rpi.edu.