Elizabeth Cottrell

Cottrell grew up in northern Vermont. Her father was an engineer.[6]

In 1997, Cottrell received a Bachelor of Science in geochemistry from Brown University. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in environmental science from Columbia in 2004.[7][8]

The focus area of her research is largely in Alaska and Oceania,[9] though she works in Washington, D.C.[10] She has also worked as a visiting scientist to ClerVolc from Clermont Auvergne University.[11] Cottrell is best known for her work in the geologic fields of mineralogy and volcanism,[12][13][14] especially as it relates to the geochronology of the Earth.[15]

Cottrell currently works as the curator-in-charge of rocks and ores for the National Museum of Natural History, and as the chair of the museum's department of mineral sciences.[9]

Cottrell's career at the Smithsonian Institution has also involved her serving as director of the Global Volcanism Program from 2010 to 2016. She was also a co-director of the NSF Natural Resources REU from 2010 to 2022.[9]

Being an employee of the Smithsonian Institution, she is often featured in the Smithsonian magazine as a geology expert.[16] She has also appeared in other Smithsonian publications and media posts.[17][18]