E-Mail IMAGE: UD Professor Donald Sparks has received the Duchaufour Medal given by the European Geosciences Union for distinguished contributions to soil science. view more Credit: Photo illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase The University of Delaware's Donald Sparks, Unidel S. Hallock du Pont Chair in Plant and Soil Sciences and director of the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN), has won the 2021 Philippe Duchaufour Medal given by the European Geosciences Union. EGU's Soil System Sciences Division established the award for "distinguished contributions to soil science, defined in its widest sense." Sparks has been a global leader in environmental soil chemistry for more than 30 years. The nomination cited Sparks' "groundbreaking research on soil processes influencing plant available potassium levels within soils" and said "He has pioneered the application of chemical kinetics to soils and soil minerals, including development of widely used methods." The nomination also cited Sparks' "seminal papers on soil carbon dynamics," and said that "Sparks has changed our understanding of and our approach to studying soils, providing a legacy of innovation and advancement."