In Earth science, the forces that shape the planet often unfold over millions of years. Building a great department is measured on a different timescale, but it follows a similar principle: its strongest foundations are laid long before their full impact can be seen.
Sometimes it begins with a couple deciding to invest in the institution that shaped their lives. Sometimes it is the final gift of scholars whose lives were devoted to advancing a field. Sometimes it is a family’s determination to preserve the legacy of someone whose work changed the way scientists understand the world.
Those stories came together this spring as the UCLA Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences celebrated the installation of three endowed chairs. Honoring the legacies of Leon and Joanne Knopoff, Louis and Martha Slichter and An Yin, the appointments reflect a shared commitment to supporting the next generation of Earth scientists.
An Yin Endowed Chair in Geology: John He
For Ray Yin, establishing the An Yin Endowed Chair in Geology was deeply personal.
“My main goal for the donation is to try to carry on An’s legacy in his groundbreaking work by combining field work with theory to reshape modern geological and space sciences.”
The chair honors his brother, the late distinguished professor An Yin, whose research transformed understanding of continental tectonics, mountain building and planetary geology. John He is the inaugural chairholder. His research combines field geology with studies of Earth’s deep interior.
“Field-based learning and research is one of the most powerful things we do as a department, and the endowed chair allows us to double down on this commitment,” He said.
“As new obstacles arise in funding for international research and collaborations, these gifts help sustain the academic freedom that allows us to pursue questions about the planet where they arise, following our curiosity where it leads us, without the uncertainties in the new funding landscape.”
Leon and Joanne V.C. Knopoff Chair in Geophysics and Physics: Lars Stixrude
The Leon and Joanne V.C. Knopoff Chair traces its origins to a vision Leon and Joanne Knopoff shared more than two decades ago.
Years ago, Leon Knopoff—a UCLA professor of physics and geophysics for six decades—and his wife, Joanne established a career development chair with the hope that it would one day become a permanent professorship. After Leon’s passing, Joanne fulfilled that shared vision.
“It means a great deal to me to have been able to increase the endowment for a professorship in geophysics and physics to that of a full professor,” Joanne Knopoff said. “It was my late husband who introduced me to the idea of establishing an endowment. We had in mind that eventually the endowment might be increased to that for a full professor, even though we were not able to do so at that time.”
The chair is now held by Lars Stixrude, whose research explores the physics of Earth’s interior and the evolution of planets.
“The Knopoff Chair will enable me and my research group to explore new directions and develop new methodologies, including exploration of the origin of Earth’s earliest magnetic field in a deep magma ocean,” Stixrude said. “The support provided by the Chair is uniquely valuable as a means of expanding our research frontiers at a time of retrenchment from other sources of science funding.”
Louis B. and Martha B. Slichter Endowed Chair in Geosciences: Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni
Established through the Slichters’ estate, the Louis B. and Martha B. Slichter Endowed Chair in Geosciences reflects a commitment to Earth science that continues beyond a lifetime. Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni holds the chair as she investigates the forces that shape Earth’s interior and surface.
“The Slichter chair has been a godsend for me, allowing me to keep my research going with world-class students and postdocs in the face of funding uncertainty,” Lithgow-Bertelloni said. “It is a tool to enter new, unexplored areas in Earth Sciences that are difficult to fund, and to keep expanding a research program that combines rigor and adventure.”
She added: “Those generous donors who endow chairs for junior and senior faculty are helping not only individual faculty members but also departments continue their missions. In our case, to protect and understand our Earth.”