The W.W. Hutchison Medal is named after Dr. William W. Hutchison in recognition of his many contributions to Canadian and international geoscience. The medal is awarded to a young individual for recent exceptional advances in Canadian earth science research.
2026 W.W. Hutchison Medalist
Dr. Benjamin Tutolo (University of Calgary)
Dr. Benjamin Tutolo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment at the University of Calgary. He is a Canadian leader in the field of geochemistry whose research traces the history of life-supporting environments across the solar system. Dr. Tutolo’s research into the geochemistry of the high-temperature chemical reactions occurring at Earth’s mid-ocean ridges has yielded new and widely recognized insights into the importance of these reactions for maintaining habitable environments on Earth and Mars, and, potentially, for originating the first lifeforms. His innovative approach to research has also yielded breakthroughs in our understanding of nature-based climate change solutions. His research has led to internationally adopted advancements and innovations and has changed our understanding of how geochemical reactions occur, resulting in unique lab techniques that make it possible to design timely carbon dioxide removal strategies for the mitigation of climate change. He has developed unique laboratory techniques for understanding the speed at which geochemical reactions occur. For years, scientists in my field have been making unjustified, and now demonstrably incorrect, assumptions about the rates at which clays, the ubiquitous mineral byproducts of weathering reactions on both Earth and Mars, grow, and I have worked to correct this issue through inventive new laboratory techniques. His research has helped to quantify the potential of mineral carbonation, or the engineered reaction of rocks with CO2, to remove it from, or prevent it from entering, the atmosphere, as a promising climate change solution. To facilitate the international community’s efforts to build upon this foundational work, he worked with a colleague to publish a free, open-source software package for predicting geochemical processes. Although it is less than a year old, this software has already engendered a transformational shift in the science being done by the global geochemical community. Dr. Tutolo is a leader in his field, serving on national and international boards and committees. He is the Chair of the Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) Ocean Observatory Council, which represents the interests of major ONC science users and helps to advise ONC on its scientific direction. Dr. Tutolo was selected to join NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Team on the Gale Crater and as part of the team he studies data from Mars using his expertise in geochemical transformations on Earth.
Check out the 2025-2026 Hutchison Lecture Tour!
The deadline for National Medal nomination forms will be in Winter 2026
Previous Award Winners
2025 John Jamieson
2024 Chris Spencer
2023 Jamie Kirkpatrick
2022 Britta Jensen
2021 Vincent van Hinsberg
2020 Shahin Dashtgard
2019 Brian Kendall
2018 Gordon Osinski
2017 Christie Rowe
2016 Stephen Piercey
2015 Murray Gingras
2014 Ali Polat
2013 Duane Froese
2012 Galen Halverson
2011 Anton Chakhmouradian
2010 Octavian Catuneanu
2009 Michael Caldwell
2008 James MacEachern
2007 Jeremy Richards
2006 John Gosse
2005 Alan J. Anderson
2004 Shoufa Lin