Research Excellence
Queen鈥檚 researcher elected to the National Academy of Sciences
May 28, 2025
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Throughout his career, Dr. John Smol has published over 730 papers and 24 books, received seven honorary doctorates, and earned over 100 awards.
John Smol, Distinguished University Professor in Queen鈥檚 Department of Biology, has been elected as an international member of the U.S. (NAS). The organization is responsible for overseeing the National Research Council and fostering the broad understanding of science. Each year, a maximum of 120 members are elected. Dr. Smol is one of only 30 international scientists and five Canadians elected to the NAS in 2025.
As a leading scientist in the field of paleolimnology, Dr. Smol鈥檚 research focuses on studying freshwater systems to track their long-term changes, specifically relating to climate change and other human impacts. His research on the effects of warming on high Arctic-lake ecosystems identified the critical impact of greenhouse-gas-induced warming in the region years before most people recognized climate change as an alarming environmental issue. His work has had wide-ranging impacts on society by advising public policy, establishing a method to track historical environmental conditions and inform future environmental action, and raise awareness among the public of evidence-based climate change research.
Dr. Smol, the former Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change, also founded and now co-directs the Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory (PEARL) at Queen鈥檚, where he has mentored over 100 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Dr. Smol is one of only 30 international scientists and five Canadians elected to the NAS in 2025.
Throughout his career, Dr. Smol has published over 730 papers and 24 books, received seven honorary doctorates, and earned over 100 awards. Recently, Dr. Smol was awarded the 2024 Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact, one of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council鈥檚 (NSERC) major prizes of which Dr. Smol has received a total of five throughout his career. Other honours include the NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal, the Vega Medal awarded by the King of Sweden, and an appointment as an officer to the Order of Canada. Dr. Smol also served as the President of the Academy of Science, Royal Society of Canada from 2019-2022.
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was established by an Act of Congress signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a private, non-profit organization with the sole mission of 鈥渞ecognizing and elevating outstanding science.鈥 Members are elected to the NAS in recognition of their outstanding achievements in research, making membership one of the highest distinctions a scientist can receive.
鈥淚 was deeply honoured to be elected to the NAS. It was also a surprise, as I did not even know I was nominated!鈥 noted Dr. Smol. 鈥淧erhaps more so now than ever, national academies are critical for providing evidence-based advice. Just as I have tried to do with the Royal Society of Canada and, to some extent, with the Royal Society (London), I look forward to working with the NAS on the many pressing issues facing humanity today.鈥
To learn more about Dr. Smol鈥檚 research, read this feature in the Queen鈥檚 Gazette, and for more on the 2025 NAS election visit the website.
