Kip Solomon, Distinguished Professor
May 5, 2025
Above: Kip Solomon in his lab.
D. Kip Solomon has been elevated to the status of Distinguished Professor of Geology & Geophysics.
The rank of Distinguished Professor is reserved for selected individuals whose achievements exemplify the highest goals of scholarship as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them from peers with national and international stature, and whose record includes evidence of a high dedication to teaching as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them by students and/or colleagues.
Solomon holds the Frank Brown Presidential Chair in the Department of Geology & Geophysics, where he is currently interim department chair.
Solomon has a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo and BS and MS degrees from the U’s Department of Geology and Geophysics. He joined the department as faculty in 1993 and served as chair from 2009-2013.
His research includes the use of environmental tracers to evaluate groundwater flow and solute transport processes in local-to regional-scale aquifers. He constructed and operates one of only a few labs in the world that measures noble gases in groundwater. His research results have been documented in more than 120 journal articles, book chapters and technical reports.
“The College of Science congratulates Kip Solomon on this well-deserved recognition," said Pearl Sandick, interim dean of the College of Science. "As a hydrogeologist, Solomon has developed the use of dissolved gases to evaluate groundwater travel times, location and rates of recharge, and the sustainability of groundwater resources — findings that enhance our efforts to improve water management in the American West. His teaching over the years as well as his service to the department as a former chair and now interim chair epitomize his dedication to the field and the university.”
Solomon was awarded the O.E Meinzer Annual Award by the Geological Society of America in September when a profile of his life's work was featured. You can read that profile here.