James M Russell

James M Russell is a Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Brown University. He holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota (2004) and a BA from Wesleyan University (1998). His research focuses on paleoclimate reconstruction using lake sediments, particularly in tropical regions like Africa and Indonesia. Key projects include the Lake Towuti Drilling Project and studies of climate dynamics in East Africa and the El Niño Southern Oscillation system.

Research Interests:

• Climatic controls on tropical glaciers
• BrGDGT lipid biomarkers for paleotemperature
• Monsoon system variability
• Human impacts on lake ecosystems

Publications highlight his work on tropical climate variability, including the role of temperature gradients during the Last Glacial Maximum and the use of sedimentary proxies to reconstruct hydrological changes. He has received accolades such as the Willi Dansgaard Award (2020) and a Royce Professorship (2018).