Maria Prokopenko

Maria Prokopenko is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Geology at Pomona College, Claremont, California, where she has been since 2014. She is affiliated with the Department of Geology within the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research lies at the intersection of geology, oceanography, and biogeochemistry, focusing on the interactions between biological, hydrological, and geological systems in the ocean.

Her educational background includes:

• B.S. in Geology from Moscow State University
• B.A. in English from Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages
• M.S. in Geology from the University of Cincinnati
• Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Southern California (USC)
• Postdoctoral training in Stable Isotope Geochemistry at Princeton University
• Postdoctoral training in Geochemistry/Oceanography at USC

Maria Prokopenko’s research is centered on marine biogeochemical cycles, particularly the cycling of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon. She applies stable isotope methods (e.g., δ15N, δ18O, δ17O) and measurements of dissolved gases (N2, O2, Ar) to trace biological and physical processes in the ocean. Her work involves quantifying biogeochemical fluxes using geochemical models, studying nutrient stoichiometries, and investigating export efficiency and productivity in diverse marine environments such as the Southern Ocean, Eastern Tropical South Pacific, Bering Sea, and coastal California. She aims to understand how marine ecosystems respond to environmental change, treating biogeochemical fluxes as a 'chemical heartbeat' of Earth’s ecosystems.

The recent articles in her publication record reveal a consistent focus on nitrogen and oxygen cycling, nutrient dynamics, and the use of stable isotopes as tracers. Her work spans paleoceanography, modern ocean processes, microbial interactions, and coastal biogeochemistry. She frequently collaborates with leading oceanographers and geochemists and integrates field data with modeling to constrain fluxes and processes. Many of her papers involve student co-authors, indicating active mentorship.

Her scientific contributions have been published in high-impact journals such as Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, and Global Biogeochemical Cycles. While no specific awards are listed in the provided text, her publication record speaks to significant recognition in the field.

Maria Prokopenko mentors students through research collaborations, with several undergraduate and graduate students appearing as co-authors on her publications. She teaches courses including Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Introduction to Geochemistry, and Intro to Geology: Oceanography. Her research is collaborative and field-based, involving data from oceanographic cruises and sediment studies, though no formal lab name is specified in the text.