Roy Wogelius is the Professor of Geochemistry in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He is originally from Chicago and studied Geology at the University of Illinois (MSc), completed his PhD in Geochemistry at Northwestern University, and went on to conduct post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford (Earth Sciences and Nuclear Physics) and at Argonne National Laboratory (Chemical Technology). His research at the University of Manchester has especially focused on developing synchrotron-based methods for the analyses of mineral surfaces and trace chemicals (including radionuclides, organic compounds, and heavy metals) involving a range of natural materials. This research has flourished as part of an exciting and challenging decade-long collaboration with physicists at Stanford University’s synchrotron facility and at the Diamond Light Source. Group research on the preservation of pigments in 120 million year old avian fossils was awarded a place as one of the top ten scientific discoveries of 2011 by La Recherche. As part of this ongoing research, he was awarded a Blaustein Visiting Professorship at Stanford University. His teaching profile includes advanced courses in kinetics, analytical methods, geochemical modelling, statistical applications, and environmental field studies.