Margaret Tolbert '79, Doctor of Science
Margaret Tolbert '79 received an honorary Doctor of Science at Grinnell College Commencement 2007.
Global climate change has the potential to affect nearly every aspect of life on Earth. Margaret Tolbert's research is helping us understand the chemistry of our atmosphere — knowledge that is critically important to the future of the planet.
As an undergraduate, she found an encouraging environment for her scientific aptitudes at Grinnell. After graduating from Grinnell College with a degree in chemistry, she earned an M.S. degree from the University of California-Berkeley and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology, both in chemistry. Ms. Tolbert's research at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has focused on understanding the chemistry and climate of planetary atmospheres, including past and present Earth.
Her widely-praised research on the chemical reactions in the clouds above the Earth's poles — reactions that have been linked to stratospheric ozone destruction — provides important progress our understanding of global warming. Working in her lab at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Ms. Tolbert conducts atmospheric research with undergraduate and graduate students — providing many opportunities for mentoring young scientists. Ms. Tolbert's research group has also studied the properties of clouds on other planetary bodies, including Mars and Titan, a moon of Saturn. Using data gathered on Titan, she was able to model conditions on early Earth. Her team found that hazy skies could have provided a substantial amount of organic material useful for emerging life on our planet.
In addition to directing a large research group making significant contributions to our understanding of atmospheric science, she has regularly taught a highly regarded class in environmental chemistry for non-science majors at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Ms. Tolbert's pursuit of achievement in research and her passion for teaching have brought her many accolades, including election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2004, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2005, and NASA Group Achievement Awards in 2001 and 2003. This spring, she was the recipient of the 2007 Hazel Barnes Prize at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The Barnes Prize is the highest faculty recognition for teaching and research given by the university.
Margaret Tolbert's dedication to teaching, coupled with her important research, will play a leading role in understanding and dealing with global climate change. Grinnell College is proud to honor her for this work.