Benjamin Gill

Benjamin C. Gill is a Professor of Sedimentary Geochemistry at the Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech. His research focuses on reconstructing Earth's past chemical cycles and environmental changes, particularly during periods of mass extinctions and climatic shifts. He holds a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of California, Riverside (2009) and a B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Missouri (2004).

His research integrates geochemical analyses with sedimentological and paleontological data to study biogeochemical cycles of carbon, sulfur, iron, and molybdenum. Key areas of interest include the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, Cambrian oxygenation events, and Neoproterozoic ocean chemistry. Gill has advised multiple graduate students, including Matt LeRoy and Selva Marroquín, and collaborates on projects involving fieldwork in Nevada, Alberta, and China.

Notable contributions include work on thallium isotopes to trace ocean anoxia and zinc isotopes to track eukaryotic evolution. He teaches courses such as GEOS 1014 (Earth and Life Through Time) and GEOS 5634G (Advanced Environmental Geochemistry). Gill was honored as a 2015 Kavli Fellow and maintains an active lab group at Virginia Tech. His research extends to understanding links between plate tectonics, climate, and biological evolution.