Associate Professor Richard Palin Elected Chair of the Metamorphic Studies Group

Richard Palin, Associate Professor of Petrology, was recently elected as the new Chair of the Metamorphic Studies Group (MSG), a joint special interest group of the Mineralogical Society and the Geological Society. The MSG was inaugurated in 1981 to promote all aspects of field and laboratory studies relating to metamorphic rocks.

Richard previously served as Secretary of the MSG from 2022 and will now lead the group’s activities until 2028. This will include overseeing organisation of the annual Research in Progress (RiP) meetings, as well as the nominations and presentation of the Barrow Award, which is presented annually to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to metamorphic studies relative to career stage. In addition, he will help to ensure that metamorphic studies are represented and integrated with studies from other special interest groups at the upcoming Mineralogical Society 150th Anniversary Conference in 2026.

Reflecting on his election, Richard said, “I’m honoured to be taking over as MSG Chair from Owen Weller, who did an excellent job these past few years. My first research presentation was given at an MSG RiP meeting in Cambridge over a decade ago, and I have attended frequently since. It was a formative experience and we have a really friendly, accepting, and supportive metamorphic community. We have recently seen a notable uptick in attendance of MSG RiP meetings from colleagues and students based in Europe and the USA; it’s great that the group is growing and that they are making the trip over to the UK! I already have several ideas that I will discuss with the committee to help promote metamorphic studies and increase community engagement in the next few years.”

Richard’s research involves field- and laboratory-based studies combining metamorphic geology, isotope geochronology, geochemistry, and thermodynamic phase equilibrium modelling, which are used to investigate the evolution of the lithosphere in space and time. He was also recently awarded the Max Hey medal of the Mineralogical Society in 2023, which recognises existing and ongoing research of excellence carried out by young workers within the fields of either mineralogy, crystallography, petrology or geochemistry.

To find out more about the Metamorphic Studies Group, visit their website.

Photo of the demonstrator team, including Richard Palin, on the 2025 Assynt Fieldclass.