Kevin Rosso

Kevin Rosso is a Laboratory Fellow and the associate director of the Physical Sciences Division for Geochemistry at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). He received his BS degree in geological sciences from Cal Poly at Pomona, California, in 1992, and his MS and PhD degrees in geochemistry from Virginia Tech in 1994 and 1998. With over 340 publications and an H-index of 63, Dr. Rosso is a leading figure in molecular geochemistry and surface science.

Dr. Rosso's educational background includes:

• Ph.D., Geochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• M.S., Geochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• B.S. Geological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Dr. Rosso is best known for his pioneering research on electron transfer reactions between aqueous ions, mineral surfaces, and bacterial enzymes. His research spans from fundamental topics such as metal sulfide oxidation, bacterial reduction of metal oxides, contaminant interactions with clay minerals, and mechanisms of crystal growth and dissolution, to applied areas including geologic carbon sequestration, stress corrosion cracking in alloys, performance optimization of lithium battery materials, and the design of semiconductor materials for solar photocatalysis. His work has been instrumental in establishing the field of molecular geochemistry through the application of advanced tools like scanning probe microscopy, quantum mechanical molecular simulations, and massively parallel supercomputers.

Analysis of Dr. Rosso's recent publications (2022-2023) reveals a continued focus on mineral-water interfaces, electron transfer processes, and materials for energy applications. His research spans multiple disciplines including geochemistry, materials science, surface chemistry, and computational chemistry. Key themes include aluminum speciation in alkaline solutions, mineral dissolution and precipitation mechanisms, electron transport in metal oxides, and the development of advanced characterization methods for understanding complex geochemical systems.

Dr. Rosso has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to geochemistry:

• Science Innovation Award (Stumm Medal), European Association of Geochemistry, 2020
• Geochemistry Fellow, 2020
• Member, Washington State Academy of Sciences, 2019
• Visiting Distinguished Scholar, Durham University, 2019-2020
• Life Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America
• Life Fellow of The Geochemical Society
• Life Fellow of The European Association of Geochemistry
• Mineralogical Society's Hallimond Lectureship, 2016
• Mineralogical Society of America Award, 2004

Dr. Rosso leads the U.S. Department of Energy's major fundamental geochemistry program at PNNL and is the founding director of the Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP), a multi-institutional DOE Energy Earthshot Research Center launched in 2023. He has mentored a research group of approximately 35 PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff scientists. His laboratory work is supported by significant DOE funding for research on geochemical processes relevant to energy production, environmental remediation, and nuclear waste management.

Dr. Rosso directs the Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP), which focuses on understanding subsurface processes critical for carbon sequestration, nuclear waste disposal, and geothermal energy. His team combines experimental and computational approaches to study mineral-fluid interactions at multiple scales, from molecular to field levels. The laboratory maintains state-of-the-art facilities for surface characterization, spectroscopy, and high-performance computing simulations.