// Workers AI · dad joke modeAre Andrew and Christine Putnis a perfect pair? They put nice together.
Andrew Putnis | |
|---|---|
| Education | University of Newcastle (Australia) Birkbeck College University of Cambridge (PhD) |
| Occupation | Professor of Mineralogy |
| Employer(s) | University of Münster Curtin University |
| Known for | Mineralogy |
| Spouse | Christine Putnis |
| Awards | Bunsen Medal (2018) Roebling Medal (2020) |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Transformation Behaviour in Sulphide Minerals (1976) |
Christine Putnis | |
|---|---|
| Education | University of Newcastle (Australia) University of Münster (PhD) |
| Occupation | Research scientist |
| Employer(s) | University of Münster Curtin University |
| Known for | Geochemistry and mineralogy |
| Spouse | Andrew Putnis |
| Awards | Werner Stumm Medal (2025) |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Reactions at the fluid-mineral interface[1] (2006) |
Andrew Putnis and Christine V. Putnis are Australian mineralogists. In 2013, the new mineral Putnisite was named in their honour, in recognition of their contributions to mineralogy. [2] [3]
Early life and family
[edit]Andrew and Christine Putnis (née Nunn) grew up in Australia, and met at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, where Andrew was studying physics and mathematics, and Christine was studying geology. They both trained as teachers, moved to the United Kingdom in the early 1970s, to Germany in 1995, and back to Australia in 2015. They have six children.[4][5]
Andrew Putnis
[edit]Andrew Putnis completed a bachelors degree in physics at the University of Newcastle (Australia), followed by a diploma in education at Newcastle, and a bachelors degree in geology at Birkbeck College, London. He then embarked on a PhD on the strucure of sulphide minerals at the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Desmond McConnell. He completed his PhD in 1976,[6] and then remained in Cambridge as a researcher until 1981, and then lecturer.[7] In 1995, he moved to the University of Munster, Germany.
In 2015, Putnis was appointed as director of the Institute for Geoscience Research (TIGeR) at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia,[8] and in 2017, he was awarded the title of John Curtin Distinguished Professor.[9]
Over the course of his career, Andrew Putnis has written many influential papers, but his most cited work is a textbook that he wrote in 1992, called Introduction to Mineral Sciences.[10] In a medal citation for Andrew, geochemist Michael Hochella noted that this book was 'well ahead of its time', and covered many highly quantitative topics with 'great sophistication'.[7]
Andrew Putnis was awarded the Bunsen medal of the European Geosciences Union in 2018,[11] and the Roebling Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America in 2020.[7]
Christine Putnis
[edit]Christine Putnis completed a bachelors degree at the University of Newcastle (Australia), followed by a diploma in education. When they moved to Cambridge in the 1970s, Christine Putnis taught science in local schools, before working as a research assistant in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge. In 1995 she moved to the University of Munster, Germany, where she completed a doctoral degree, and conducted research in mineralogy, in particular on the processes occurring during the dissolution and precipitation of mineral phases in the presence of fluids.[5]
In 2019, she edited a special issue of the journal Minerals on the topic of mineral surface reactions at the nanoscale.[12] In 2025, she was awarded the Science Innovation Award Werner Stumm Medal by the European Association of Geochemistry for her work using atomic force microscopy to investigate mineral reactions and crystal growth.[13]
Joint work and recognition
[edit]Andrew and Christine Putnis have published numerous scientific papers across areas of mineralogy and geochemistry; including several two-author papers with each other.[14] [15]
In 2013, their contributions to the field of mineralogy were recognised with the naming of a newly-discovered strontium-calcium-chromium sulphate mineral 'putnisite', in their honour. Putnisite was first discovered on the Polar Bear Peninsula in the Shire of Dundas, Western Australia and only been reported from a small number of locations in Australia, where it has been found as small, purple cube-shaped crystals.[2] [3]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Christine Putnis (Mineralogin)" – via ISNI.
- 1 2 Elliott, P; Giester, G; Rowe, R; Pring, A (2014). "Putnisite, SrCa4Cr8 3+ (CO3)8SO4(OH)16·25H2O, a new mineral from Western Australia: description and crystal structure". Mineralogical Magazine. 78: 131–144. doi:10.1180/minmag.2014.078.1.10.
- 1 2 Crossan, Andrea (29 April 2014). "It's puny, it's purple, it's Putnisite. So where was the new mineral discovered?". TheWorld. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Putnis, Andrew (2021). "Acceptance of the 2020 Roebling Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America". American Mineralogist. 106: 849–850.
- 1 2 "Twelve months, twelve people. Portrait of Dr. Christine Putnis". February 2025 – via Universitat Munster.
- ↑ Putnis, Andrew (1976). "PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge. Transformation Behaviour in Sulphide Minerals" – via Ethos.
- 1 2 3 Hochella, Jr, Michael F. (1 May 2021). "Presentation of the 2020 Roebling Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America to Andrew Putnis". American Mineralogist. 106: 847–848.
- ↑ Thornton, Frances (4 May 2015). "New Director to lead geoscience research at Curtin". Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Sydoruk, Lauren (3 April 2017). "Curtin University honours six distinguished academics". Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Putnis, Andrew (1992). Introduction to Mineral Sciences. Cambridge University Press. p. 457. ISBN 0521429471.
- ↑ "Robert Wilhelm Bunsen Medal 2018. Andrew Putnis". Retrieved 9 September 2026 – via EGU.
- ↑ Putnis, C.V. (2019). "Editorial for Special Issue "Mineral Surface Reactions at the Nanoscale"". Minerals. 9: 185.
- ↑ H, Marie Aude (8 February 2025). "Awards SIA 2025 Christine Putnis". Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Putnis, Andrew; Putnis, Christine V. (2007). "The mechanism of reequilibration of solids in the presence of a fluid phase". Journal of Solid State Chemistry. 180: 1783–1786.
- ↑ Putnis, Christine V.; Putnis, Andrew (2022). "A mechanism of ion exchange by interface-coupled dissolution-precipitation in the presence of an aqueous fluid". Journal of Crystal Growth. 600 (126840).