Corday Selden selected for the Oceanography Society Early Career Award

For fundamental contributions to our understanding of how marine microbial interactions structure the chemistry of the ocean

2026-01-14

(Press-News.org) The Oceanography Society (TOS) has selected Dr. Corday Selden, an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University, as a recipient of the TOS Early Career Award, recognizing her outstanding early-career research contributions, leadership in ocean sciences, and exceptional promise for future impact in oceanography. Dr. Selden will be recognized at The Oceanography Society Honors Breakfast, February 24, 2026, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

Dr. Selden is a marine biogeochemist whose research has fundamentally advanced understanding of how marine microbial processes regulate ocean chemistry and Earth-system function. Her work integrates stable isotope geochemistry, molecular biology, modeling, and field-based oceanography to address long-standing questions about nitrogen cycling, microbial metabolism, and biosphere–geosphere interactions.

Dr. Selden’s early-career research has reshaped the understanding of marine dinitrogen (N₂) fixation across oxygen-deficient zones, continental shelves, and frontal systems. Her work has clarified where and why nitrogen fixation occurs, corrected methodological artifacts in prior studies, and revealed how microbial metabolic strategies interact with ocean physics and chemistry. More recently, her pioneering research on transition metal isotopes has opened new avenues for interpreting microbial physiology and paleoceanographic records.

Since joining Rutgers University as tenure-track faculty in 2025, following her selection as a University Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Selden has continued her rapid trajectory. She has published extensively in top-tier journals, secured major competitive grants, and will serve as a co-chief scientist along with colleague Joe Gradone on an August 2026 research cruise.

“Corday Selden represents an ideal candidate for this award,” wrote Oscar Schofield and Travis Miles of Rutgers University. “She is an exceptional researcher, teacher, mentor, and thought leader, and has quickly become a core part of our academic family.”

In addition to her research excellence, Dr. Selden is widely recognized for her commitment to education, mentoring, and outreach. She is a highly sought-after mentor for undergraduate and graduate students, with a laboratory actively supporting student interns and early-career scientists. Her outreach activities span community programs, K–12 education, libraries, and national science events, extending the reach of ocean science well beyond the academic community.

Through her innovative science, collaborative leadership, and dedication to mentoring and public engagement, Dr. Corday Selden exemplifies the goals of the TOS Early Career Award. Her work has already had substantial impact on oceanography, and her trajectory points clearly toward continued leadership and transformative contributions to the field.

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About The Oceanography Society

Founded in 1988, the Oceanography Society’s mission is to build the capacity of its diverse global membership; catalyze interdisciplinary ocean research, technology, policy, and education; and promote equitable access to opportunities for all.

About Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is where Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago. Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship university is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.

It is home to internationally acclaimed faculty and has 12 degree-granting schools and a Division I Athletics program. It is the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse university. Through its community of teachers, scholars, artists, scientists, and healers, Rutgers is equipped as never before to transform lives.

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