By: Carlyn Scott, Science Communications Manager
Pamela Hallock Muller grew up on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. The vastness of the prairie and changes in the night skies inspired her curiosity for nature, which was further sustained by a closet full of old National Geographic magazines. Hallock Muller earned her bachelor’s in Zoology from the University of Montana in 1969, then her master’s and doctorate from the Oceanography Department at the University of Hawaii in 1972 and 1977.
Hallock Muller started her career at the College of Marine Science in 1983, back when it was still a department, and was the first woman faculty member. Since then, she has mentored over 180 graduate students, published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, and has received numerous awards recognizing her accomplishments in the field of biogeological oceanography.
This year, she received another prestigious title: University of South Florida Distinguished University Professor.
Hallock Muller, who studies foraminifera (forams) and reef ecology, is a recognized leader in carbonate ecology. Her laboratory research focuses on both the modern and geologic record of coral reefs to gain insight into the ways humans impact these ecosystems. She has described foram species, such as Floresina amphiphaga, and her extensive research earned her the Joseph A. Cushman Award for Excellence in Foraminiferal Research and the Raymond C. Moore Medal for Excellence in Paleontological Research by the Society for Sedimentary Geology.
Her 1986 paper in PALAIOS, “Nutrient excess in the demise of coral reefs and carbonate platforms,” was named a landmark paper in carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 100th Anniversary Committee.
Hallock Muller, known to her students and colleagues simply as Pam, is a role model to many within CMS, foraminifera ecology, and the field of oceanography. Through all her accomplishments, Hallock Muller takes the greatest joy in her role as a professor.
“My legacy are my former students who are out there doing all kinds of cool things,” said Hallock Muller.