Julie Brigham-Grette

Julie Brigham-Grette is a Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on Arctic paleoclimate, stratigraphy, and sea level history since the mid-Pliocene, with emphasis on Beringia and the El'gygytgyn Lake Drilling Project.

• Albion College, BA in Geology (1977)
• University of Colorado Boulder, MSc (1980) and PhD (1985) in Geology

Brigham-Grette's work integrates marine and lacustrine records to study Arctic climate evolution, particularly through projects like the $10M Lake El'gygytgyn Scientific Drilling Program (3.6 Myr record) and NSF-funded initiatives on Svalbard glaciers and Arctic coastal resilience.

Her publications span high-impact journals like Science and specialized outlets in geochronology and Quaternary research, emphasizing polar amplification and future climate policy. Awards include Fellowships from AGU and GSA, and distinguished lectureships in Austria and the UK.

• Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2016)
• Fellow, Geological Society of America (2002)
• Albion College Distinguished Alumni Award (2003)
• UMass Conti Fellowship (2011–2012)
• Suess Lecture, Austrian Academy of Sciences (2015)
• Gregory Lecture, University of Southampton (2015)
• AGU Tyndall Lecturer (2015)

She leads the Hartshorn Quaternary Lab and mentors students in glacial geology, oceanography, and Arctic fieldwork. Current projects include IODP/ICDP drilling in the Bering Strait, funded by NSF and National Geographic.