Citation by Jason Rech
Hailiang Dong is a mineralogist and geomicrobiologist who has worked relentlessly to understand the intricate ways that microorganisms interact with the solid Earth. His research has been novel and transformative and has ranged from quantifying reaction rates of mineral reactions to understanding the many roles’ microorganisms play in influencing biogeochemical cycles, remediating environmental contamination, and fighting drug-resistant pathogens. Hailiang’s strong background in mineralogy and geochemistry, in conjunction with his broad array of analytical techniques, have allowed him to advance the field of geomicrobiology in exciting new directions. He has also served the research community in many ways from acting as a program director for the National Science Foundation, as chief editor for Chemical Geology and Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, as an associate editor for Geomicrobiology, and Clays and Clay Minerals. Finally, Hailiang has trained over 40 graduate students, ensuring that his legacy of cutting-edge science will continue for decades to come.
Response by Hailiang Dong
I am extremely honored to receive the Arthur L. Day Medal. I am humbled to join the list of academic giants, many of whom I know either in person or through their work. I am grateful to my nominator, Jason Rech, all the supporters, and GSA award committee for their nomination and evaluation. I greatly appreciate the kind citations by Jason. Through my academic career, I have been fortunate to have many fantastic mentors, colleagues, and students.
My career started as a student at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) majoring in Mineralogy and Petrology. Fascinated by beautiful colors and amazing physical/chemical properties of minerals, I continued Master’s study at China University of Geosciences (Beijing), where I studied the spectroscopic properties of beryls and used heat treatment to improve their gem quality, under the mentorship of Professor Zhaolu Pan in China.
In the early 1990’s, I was fortunate to meet a visiting professor from the University of Minnesota, Tibor Zoltai, who encouraged me to continue PhD study at the University of Michigan. There, I was lucky to have three advisors, Donald Peacor, Alex Halliday, and Chris Hall. Don introduced me to the field of clay mineralogy and the wonderful tool of transmission electron microscope for studying clay mineral reactions, an essential technique that I am still using today. At the same time, Chris and Alex introduced me to radiogenic isotope geochemistry, first on Rb/Sr and Sm/Nd isotopes, and subsequently on 40Ar-39Ar dating of clay diagenesis.
Upon graduation from Michigan in the late 1990’s, I was offered a post-doc position in Princeton University to initially continue the 40Ar-39Ar research. However, this was the time that Tullis Onstott, my postdoctoral advisor, was transitioning to Geomicrobiology. Inspired by brilliant colleagues, I quickly became immersed in this exciting new field. Through projects such as bacterial transport and mineral-microbe interactions, I had the luck of working with microbiologists, geochemists, and hydrologists, from whom I greatly expanded my knowledge base.
In 2000, I accepted a faculty position at Miami University and started my independent research. Miami is located in the rural town of Oxford, an ideal place for research and raising families. I have been lucky to get several major proposals funded to acquire electron microscopes and to build molecular microbiology laboratories. My one-month visit to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the summer of 2001 was an eye-opening experience, as I not only established life-long collaboration with top-notch scientists Jim Fredrickson, Ravi Kukkadapu, John Zachara, Chongxuan Liu, and others, but also learned essential techniques for studying mineral-microbe interactions and microbiology in the deep subsurface.
In the last 20 years, I have been extremely fortunate to have many talented students and colleagues who have allowed me to share the joy of their discoveries. It is through their diligence that led me to the diverse fields of Geomicrobiology, including mineral-microbe interactions, environmental remediation of organic and heavy contaminations, medical mineralogy, life in extreme environments (subsurface, saline lakes, hot springs, desert).
Lastly, I want to thank my family who have strongly supported me through the endless days and nights. I owe tremendous gratitude to my wife Jun Zheng, son Raymond Dong, and daughter Christina Dong for tolerating my academic life. Without their dedication and sacrifice, I would have not reached this stage of my career.