Chapter 10 : Mary K. Firestone: Groundbreaking Journey of a Microbial Matriarch

Abstract:

Mary Firestone is a microbial ecologist who has worked extensively on the roles of soil microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystem function. She is known for her early work on microbial mediation of nitrogen oxidation and reduction processes, including microbial control of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide production, microbial adaptation to water regimes, and carbon- and nitrogen-based interactions among plant roots and soil organisms. She is a central player in the development of microbial physiological ecology, and perhaps no other scientist has done more to integrate microbial ecology with terrestrial biogeochemistry. Firestone grew up in Oklahoma City, OK, and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a scientist. Initially a lab technician valued for her instrumentation abilities, she earned a B.S. and M.S. in microbiology from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in soil science; her dissertation on control of N2O production won the Soil Science Society of America’s Emil Truog award. She joined the faculty at University of California, Berkeley (UCB), in 1979 and at the time was one of the very few women on soil science faculties in the United States. Mary went only to play many roles at UCB, including chairing the faculty senate in 2008. Her work has been recognized by a range of disciplines: she is a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, American Academy of Microbiology, Ecological Society of America, and American Geophysical Union. Universally described as brilliant, beloved, and dedicated to her students, Mary Firestone was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in May 2017.