Victoria Orphan

Victoria Orphan received her B.A. in Aquatic Biology (1994) and Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology (2001) from the University of California, Santa Barbara.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ese.caltech.edu/people/3348/profile|title=Caltech Environmental Science and Engineering|website=www.ese.caltech.edu|access-date=2017-03-08}} She served as a National Research Council fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center (2002–2004) before joining the Geobiology faculty at California Institute of Technology.{{Cite web|url=https://schmidtocean.org/|title=Schmidt Ocean Institute|website=Schmidt Ocean Institute|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-30}}

Orphan is the James Irvine Professor of Environmental Science and Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gps.caltech.edu/content/victoria-j-orphan|title=Victoria J. Orphan {{!}} www.gps.caltech.edu|website=www.gps.caltech.edu|access-date=2016-12-08}} She has also been an adjunct scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) since 2009{{Cite news|url=http://www.mbari.org/mbari-adjunct-victoria-orphan-receives-genius-grant/|title=MBARI Adjunct Victoria Orphan receives "genius grant"|access-date=2016-12-08}} and Senior Scientist of the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations, a Science and Technology Center funded by the National Science Foundation and headquartered at the University of Southern California.{{Cite web|url=http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/about-our-center/people/|title=People|website=www.darkenergybiosphere.org|access-date=2016-12-08}} As of 2020, she is the Alan V.C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership Chair for the Center of Environmental Microbial Interactions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gps.caltech.edu/people/victoria-j-orphan|title=Victoria J. Orphan {{!}} Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences|website=www.gps.caltech.edu|access-date=2020-03-07}}{{Cite web|url=http://microbiology.caltech.edu/index.html|title=Center for Environmental Microbial Interactions|website=microbiology.caltech.edu|access-date=2020-03-07}} In 2023 she was named LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year by Out to Innovate, a global organization of LGBTQ+ students and professionals in STEM.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=Victoria Orphan Named LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year |url=https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/victoria-orphan-named-lgbtq-scientist-of-the-year |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=California Institute of Technology |language=en}} She is the director of Caltech's Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory as well as the Center for Environmental Microbial Interactions (CEMI).{{Cite web |title=People |url=http://kml.caltech.edu/about-us/people |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory |language=en}}

Orphan's research integrates molecular, microscopy, and geochemical techniques to improve understanding of various processes, including those that serve as the primary sink for the greenhouse gas methane in the ocean.{{Cite web|url=https://schmidtocean.org/|title=Schmidt Ocean Institute|website=Schmidt Ocean Institute|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-30}} She focuses on microbially-mediated anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in deep sea sediment.{{Cite web|url=https://nai.nasa.gov/directory/orphan-victoria/#|title={{!}} NASA Astrobiology Institute|website=nai.nasa.gov|access-date=2017-03-08}} Specifically, she looks at the relationships between two groups of marine microbes: archaea and bacteria. Orphan uses tools such as nanoSIMS to visualize these organisms at the microscale and track how and when they exchange energy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/evolution/superorganisms/|title=Superorganisms are changing our understanding of life — NOVA Next {{!}} PBS|date=2016-04-20|work=NOVA Next|access-date=2017-03-08|language=en-US}} Through her research, Orphan has helped develop novel stable isotope applications that provide insight into the relationship between microbes and large-scale geochemical processes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.simonsfoundation.org/|title=Simons Foundation {{!}} Advancing Research in Basic Science and Mathematics|website=Simons Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-30}}

Orphan appeared in the 2018 Netflix documentary The Most Unknown{{Cite web|title=The Most Unknown (2018) – IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8126390/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=www.imdb.com|language=en-US}} on scientific research directed by Ian Cheney.

Orphan is in a relationship with fellow scientist Shana K. Goffredi, who teaches biology at Occidental College and also studies deep-sea ecosystems.{{Cite web|last= |first= |date=2016-09-22|title=MacArthur winner Victoria Orphan showed how deep-sea microbes keep greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere|url=https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-victoria-orphan-macarthur-award-20160921-snap-story.html|access-date=2020-11-13|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} {{Cite web |title=Shana Goffredi |url=https://www.oxy.edu/academics/faculty/shana-goffredi |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=www.oxy.edu |language=en}}

• 2001, National Research Council Fellowship, NASA Ames Research Center
• 2005, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Young Investigator Award{{Cite web|title=Grant Detail|url=https://www.moore.org/grant-detail?grantId=GBMF691|access-date=2017-03-08|website=www.moore.org|language=en}}
• 2010, DOE Early Career Research Award{{Cite web|date=2016-05-04|title=DOE Early Career Awards|url=https://science.energy.gov/about/honors-and-awards/pecase/winners-since-1996/|access-date=2017-03-08|website=DOE}}
• 2013, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Investigator Award{{Cite web|title=Grant Detail|url=https://www.moore.org/grant-detail?grantId=GBMF3780|access-date=2017-03-08|website=www.moore.org|language=en}}
• 2014, Dr. Fred Shair Award for Programming Diversity{{Cite web |title=Celebration of Excellence |url=http://ccid.caltech.edu/events/celebration-of-excellence |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Center for Inclusion & Diversity |language=en}}
• 2016, MacArthur Fellowship{{Cite web|title=Victoria Orphan — MacArthur Foundation|url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/964/|access-date=2016-12-08|website=www.macfound.org}}
• 2018, NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Award{{Cite web|last=Stoeter|first=Author Sarah|title=Victoria Orphan, NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Awardee 2018|url=https://nomisfoundation.ch/awards/victoria-orphan-nomis-distinguished-scientist-awardee-2018/|access-date=2019-03-26|website=The NOMIS Foundation|language=en-US}}
• 2020, species (Peinaleopolynoe orphanae) named after her{{Cite journal|last1=Hatch|first1=Avery S.|last2=Liew|first2=Haebin|last3=Hourdez|first3=Stéphane|last4=Rouse|first4=Greg W.|date=2020-12-05|title=Hungry scale worms: Phylogenetics of Peinaleopolynoe (Polynoidae, Annelida), with four new species|url=https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/48532/|journal=ZooKeys|language=en|issue=932|pages=27–74|doi=10.3897/zookeys.932.48532|issn=1313-2970|pmc=7237507|pmid=32476973|doi-access=free|bibcode=2020ZooK..932...27H }}
• 2020, American Academy of Arts and Science member{{Cite web|title=New 2020 Members Announced|url=https://www.amacad.org/2020-member-announcement|access-date=2021-02-20|website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences|date=23 April 2020 |language=en}}
• 2021, elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union{{Cite web|title=2021 Class of AGU Fellows Announced|url=https://eos.org/agu-news/2021-class-of-agu-fellows-announced|access-date=2021-09-29|website=Eos|date=28 September 2021 |language=en-US}}

Orphan, V., Hinrichs, K.-U., Ussler, W., Paull, C.K., Taylor, L., Sylva, S.P., Hayes, J.M. and DeLong, E., 2001. Comparative analysis of methane-oxidizing archaea and sulfatereducing bacteria in anoxic marine sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 67(4): 1922-1934.

Orphan, V.J., House, C.H., Hinrichs, K.-U., McKeegan, K.D. and DeLong, E.F., 2001. Methane-consuming archaea revealed by directly coupled isotopic and phylogenetic analysis. Science, 293(5529): 484-487.

Orphan, V.J., House, C.H., Hinrichs, K.-U., McKeegan, K.D. and DeLong, E.F., 2002. Multiple archaeal groups mediate methane oxidation in anoxic cold seep sediments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(11): 7663-7668.

Orphan, V., Goffredi, S., Delong, E. and Boles, J., 2003. Geochemical influence on diversity and microbial processes in high temperature oil reservoirs. Geomicrobiology Journal, 20(4): 295-311.

Orphan, V., Ussler III, W., Naehr, T., House, C., Hinrichs, K.-U. and Paull, C., 2004. Geological, geochemical, and microbiological heterogeneity of the seafloor around methane vents in the Eel River Basin, offshore California. Chemical Geology, 205(3): 265- 289.

Orphan, V., Jahnke, L., Embaye, T., Turk, K., Pernthaler, A., Summons, R. and Des Marais, D., 2008. Characterization and spatial distribution of methanogens and methanogenic biosignatures in hypersaline microbial mats of Baja California. Geobiology, 6(4): 376-393.

Orphan, V. and House, C., 2009. Geobiological investigations using secondary ion mass spectrometry: microanalysis of extant and paleo-microbial processes. Geobiology, 7(3): 360-372.

Orphan, V.J., 2011. Getting cozy: hidden microbial interactions in nature. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 3(1): 16-18.

Orphan, V.J. and Hoehler, T.M., 2011. Microbiology: Hydrogen for dinner. Nature, 476(7359): 154-155.

Cavicchioli, R., Ripple, W. J., Timmis, K. N., Azam, F., Bakken, L. R., Baylis, M., ... V. Orphan… & Crowther, T. W. (2019). Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 17: 569-586.

Leu, A.O., Cai, C., McIlroy, S.J., Southam, G., Orphan, V.J., Yuan, Z., Hu, S. and Tyson, G.W., 2020. Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to manganese reduction by members of the Methanoperedenaceae. The ISME journal, 14(4), pp.1030-1041.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://orphanlab.caltech.edu/ Orphan Lab (California Institute of Technology) page]
• [https://www.macfound.org/fellows/964/ MacArthur Foundation page]
• [https://www.moore.org/home Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation page]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orphan, Victoria}}

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Geobiologists

Category:California Institute of Technology faculty

Category:American women scientists

Category:MacArthur Fellows

Category:American LGBTQ scientists

Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni

Category:American women academics

Category:21st-century American women

Category:Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers