Fellow National Academy of Sciences Richard Lawrence "Larry" Edwards is an American geochemist and Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota.
[1] He is one of the most cited and respected geochemists in the world,[2] and is well-known for his contributions to modernizing the uranium-thorium (Th-230) radiometric dating technique.
[3] His thesis, entitled High Precision Thorium-230 Ages of Corals and the Timing of Sea Level Fluctuations in the Late Quaternary, discusses the usage of Th-230 dating in the examination of corals at Santo and Malekula Islands, Vanuatu.
[3] Edwards has made notable contributions to anthropology through dating a jawbone at 100000 years old, suggesting that modern humans had inhabited the area of China where the bone was found earlier than previously thought.
[5] On January 3rd, 2025, Dr. Edwards received the highly prestigious National Medal of Science.