Citation by Geoffrey J. Gilleaudeau
I am truly grateful and honored to present this citation for Alan Jay Kaufman to receive the Distinguished Career Award. Jay fundamentally transformed the fields of geobiology, biogeochemistry, and chemostratigraphy over the past 30 years. He pioneered the use of isotope stratigraphy in Neoproterozoic carbonate rocks, opening a bold new window into the unprecedented climatic and biological events of this tumultuous period in our planet’s history, including the great “Snowball Earth” glaciations, the evolution of the enigmatic Ediacara biota, and the “Cambrian Explosion” of animal life. Jay’s impact on the field of geobiology is unmistakable, but there is so much more to Jay’s life and career than citation counts. Jay is caring, patient, humble, and dedicated to his students, and he possesses an insatiable curiosity and drive for discovery. He inspires me and everyone around him to be the best scientists and human beings that we can be every single day.