Elizabeth Cottrell

Born in 1975,^[7] Cottrell grew up in northern Vermont. Her father was an engineer.^[8] 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 University in 2004.^[9][3]

Cottrell has been a visiting scientist to the Carnegie Institute, as well as a Fulbright Scholar.^[10]

The focus area of Cottrell's research is largely in Alaska and Oceania,^[11] though she works out of Washington, D.C.^[12] She has also worked as a visiting scientist to ClerVolc from Clermont Auvergne University.^[13] She is best known for her work in the geologic fields of mineralogy and volcanism,^[14][15][16] especially as it relates to the geochronology of the Earth.^[17] She 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.^[11]

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.^[11] Being an employee of the Smithsonian Institution, she is often featured in the Smithsonian magazine as a geology expert.^[18] She has also appeared in other Smithsonian publications and media posts.^[19][20]