Presentation of the Mineralogical Society of America Award for 2013 to Wendy Li-Wen Mao

Abstract

Fellow mineralogists, I am honored to present to you Wendy Li-Wen Mao, a friend and colleague of mine in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University as well as the Department of Photon Science at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Wendy is receiving the 2013 MSA Award for her exceptional contributions to the field of mineral physics. However, before I tell you about Wendy’s blossoming scientific career and her many outstanding scientific contributions, I would like to share a few personal things I have learned about Wendy from Agnes Mao, her mother who is here today, and from my own observations of Wendy over the past six years. According to Agnes, Wendy was a quiet and exceptionally well-behaved baby, in contrast to Wendy’s 5-month old son, whom I call “Action Jackson”. Action Jackson is in the audience with his father Benson. According to Wendy, Jackson has kept her awake most nights since his birth. Agnes also told me that Wendy loved to collect things as a child, including minerals, coins, stamps, and Cabbage Patch dolls. I can vouch for this because every flat surface in Wendy’s office at Stanford is covered by things she has collected recently, including many pieces of serpentine and other minerals, …