Catlos named a Smithsonian magazine Young Innovator in the Arts and Sciences: 37 Under 36

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Smithsonian magazine has named Elizabeth Catlos, associate professor in the Boone Pickens School of Geology at Oklahoma State University, to its list of “America’s Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences: 37 Under 36,” featured in a special issue of the magazine on sale in October.

Catlos, a geochemist and mineralogist, is honored for her international fieldwork and scientific insight into the origins of mountain ranges.

Other honorees on the list include such trailblazers as environmental activist Philippe Cousteau, novelist and short-story writer Daniel Alarcón, musician Regina Spektor, primatologist Brian Hare, suburban historian Kevin M. Kruse, jazz musician Jason Moran, author ZZ Packer, playwright Sarah Ruhl and biologist Beth Shapiro. The Dow Chemical Company is the exclusive presenter of “America’s Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences: 37 Under 36.” which included a black tie gala, a reader contest and online initiatives.

“This is a terrific and inspiring group of young people who give us all hope for the future,” said Carey Winfrey, Smithsonian magazine’s editor. “Smithsonian recognizes these young visionaries for their present impact on the nation’s culture, and by doing so celebrates American culture.”

Catlos is well known in the international scientific community for her revolutionary work in the Himalayan Mountains and western Turkey. Her research on crustal movement in these regions has been shaking up the geology world. A year ago, the Geological Society of America recognized her as the “Top Young Scientist” for outstanding achievement in geology through research that advances the earth sciences.

The issue featuring the 37 Under 36, which hits newsstands Oct. 16, reflects the breadth of Smithsonian magazine’s coverage, ranging from science and the arts to technology and the environment. The rising stars populating the issue are surprising and inspiring innovators who will define and enrich our world for decades.

“I am honored to have been chosen to be part of this issue and grouped with so many exciting people,” Catlos said. "I appreciate all of the support and freedom Oklahoma State University has given me to pursue my research interests.”

“So often in our culture, the tendency is to look nostalgically to the past for great thinkers,” said Kerry Bianchi, group publisher. “But the reality is that there are exciting developments going on around us all the time. So often it is simply a matter of bringing the public’s attention to these contributions, and that is what the ‘America’s Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences: 37 Under 36’ initiative does.”

"We are excited to sponsor this very special issue of Smithsonian magazine," said Julie Fasone Holder, corporate vice president of The Dow Chemical Company. "The innovation we will see inspired by this incredible group of young leaders in science, technology, the arts and the environment will make a difference and align well with our commitments to solving world problems through the intersection of chemistry and the human element.”

Smithsonian magazine’s “37 Under 36” includes:

Daniel Alarcón, award-winning novelist, 30, Oakland, California: An acclaimed writer whose works bridge the cultures of the Americas.
Reza Aslan, internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions, 35, Santa Monica, California: His call — for Islam to return to a tradition of tolerance — catalyzes a defining dialogue for our time.
Daniela Bleichmar, cultural historian, 34, University of Southern California, Los Angeles: Studying long-neglected drawings, she has come to a new understanding of the Spanish conquest of the Americas.
Elizabeth Catlos, geologist, 35, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater: A world traveler comes up with surprising new ideas about how the highest mountains were made.
Philippe Cousteau, environmental activist, 27, Washington, D.C.: His campaign to protect our oceans and rivers is a testament to a family legacy.
James De La Vega, artist, 35, New York City: He’s leveraged his street smarts and Puerto Rican heritage to fashion an art career.
Mayda del Valle, spoken word artist, 28, Los Angeles: Her urban poetry comes alive in smoldering stage performances.
Matt Flannery, social networking visionary, 30, San Francisco: On the web, the software engineer-turned-philanthropist combats global poverty one microloan at a time.
Christina Galitsky, chemical engineer, 34, Berkeley, California. Inventing solutions for the common good, from Darfur to Bangladesh.
Ramón Gonzalez, middle school principal, 35, New York City: He has motivated disadvantaged students to study high technology and finance.
Rachel Grady, filmmaker, 35, New York City: Documenting the untold stories that underlie the American experience.
Alicia Graf, dancer, 28, New York City: Her elegant and glorious performances have taken the New York City dance scene to new heights.
Trenton Doyle Hancock, artist, 33, Houston: Influenced by comic-book art and abstract expressionism, he spins epic tales in paint.
Brian Hare, primatologist, 31, Germany: A dog-loving scientist learns from his pets how to look into the minds of other animals.
Sarah Jones, Playwright, Actor and Poet, 33, New York, NY: A Tony Award winner for the one-woman Broadway show Bridge & Tunnel.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, spoken word artist, 31, Oakland, California: He left Broadway to pursue his hip-hop muse.
Lisa Kaltenegger, astrophysicist, 30, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Pushing the borders of the final frontier.
Jon M. Kleinberg, computer scientist, Cornell University, 35, Ithaca, New York: He sees the invisible networks that pervade our lives.
Kevin M. Kruse, suburban historian, 35, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey: He has rewritten the story of the rise of the American suburbs.
Jason Moran, pianist and composer, 32, New York City: An innovative jazz artist with a deep respect for tradition.
Nico Muhly, composer, 26, New York City: An eclectic, boundary-stretching sonic artist.
Aaron O’Dea, paleobiologist, 35, Balboa, Panama: A fossil collector finds a new way of looking at extinctions.
ZZ Packer, author, 34, Pacifica, California: The noted fiction writer uses humor to present a uniquely frank and shrewd take on America’s racial divide.
Jennifer A. Richeson, social psychologist, 35, Northwestern University, Chicago: She’s taking the scientific approach to knocking out prejudice.
Sarah Ruhl, playwright, 33, New York City: Her provocative, quirky dramas juxtapose the comedic and poignant, the mundane and surreal.
Lisa Sanditz, painter, 34, New York City: She brings a fresh eye to despoiled landscapes and captures the sublime.
Joshua Schachter, innovator, 32, Santa Monica, California: A visionary finds a way to organize the chaos of the internet.
Beth Shapiro, biologist, 31, Oxford, United Kingdom: She tells stories of lost animals by studying ancient DNA.
Regina Spektor, singer-songwriter, 27, New York City: In an age of cookie-cutter pop music, an absolute original.
Sufjan Stevens, singer-songwriter, 32, New York City: He may be the next Bob Dylan.
Jeremi Suri, historian, University of Wisconsin, 35, Madison, Wisconsin: He has found new links between the powers that be and the people they rule.
Terence Tao, mathematician, University of California, 32, Los Angeles: He has already cracked some of his field’s toughest puzzles.
Amber VanDerwarker, snthropologist, University of California, 33, Santa Barbara, California: A student of everyday life gains insight into ancient civilizations.
Luis von Ahn, computer scientist, Carnegie Mellon University, 29, Pittsburgh: He turns tasks into computer games.
John Wherry, researcher, 36, Philadelphia: To save countless lives, he’s racing to help create the first lifetime flu vaccine.
Geneva Wiki, educator, 30, Eureka, California: Helping young American Indians develop their best selves through learning.
Michael Wong, Researcher, 35, Houston: He has developed a way to clean toxic waste using tiny particles of gold.