Dr. John P. Giesy

Early Life and Education (1948–1974)

• 1948: Born in Youngstown, Ohio, USA; spent most of his life in Michigan

• 1970: Earned a B.S. in Biology, Summa Cum Laude with Honors, from Alma College in Alma, Michigan

• 1971: Completed a Master’s Degree in Limnology at Michigan State University (MSU)

• 1974: Earned a Ph.D. in Limnology from MSU
   

Early Academic Career (1974–1981)

• 1974–1981: Affiliated with the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and served as a faculty member in the Institute of Ecology and Department of Zoology at the University of Georgia
   

Michigan State University Era (1981–2006)

• Became Distinguished Professor of Zoology at MSU

• Also served as:

  • Professor of Veterinary Medicine

  • Faculty member of the Center for Integrative Toxicology

  • Faculty member of the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center

• 1990: Received the Sigma Xi Meritorious Research Award

• 1993: Awarded the title Distinguished Professor by MSU

• 1994: Received the Vollenweider Medal for Aquatic Sciences from the National Water Research Institute of Canada

• 1994: Received the Willard F. Shepard Award from the Michigan Water Pollution Control Association

• 1994: Named Researcher of the Year by the MSU chapter of Sigma Xi

• 1995: Received the Founders Award, the highest honor from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)

• 1996: Received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Alma College

• 1997, 1999, 2002: Co-authored papers selected as Best Paper in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry

• 2001: Co-authored the Best Paper in Human and Environmental Risk Assessment

• 2002: Received the SETAC/Menzie-Curra Environmental Education Award
   

International Appointments and Collaborations (2003–present)

• 2003–present: Concurrent Professor of Environmental Science at Nanjing University, China

• 2003–2006: Served on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Toxicology Program (NIH)

• 2003–2010: Served on the US EPA Office of Research and Development Board of Scientific Counselors (Executive Committee)

• 2003: Received the Sir E.W. Russell Award from the British Soil Science Society

• 2008–2015: Chartered member of the US EPA Science Advisory Board

• Served on six National Academy of Sciences panels, including:

  • Endocrine Disruptors

  • Remediation of PCB-Contaminated Sediments

  • Bioavailability of Residues from Sediments and Soils
     

University of Saskatchewan Era (2006–2024)

• 2006–2024: Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S)

• Faculty member in:

  • Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences

  • Toxicology Centre

• 2012: Received multiple honors:

  • SCOPE-Zhongyu Environmental Sciences Life Achievement Award

  • Miroslaw Romanowski Medal (Royal Society of Canada)

  • U of S J.W. George Ivany Internationalization Award

  • SETAC Capacity-Building Award

• 2016: Received the University of Saskatchewan Distinguished Researcher Award
   

Additional International Roles (2003–2019)

• 2014–2018: Distinguished Visiting Professor, School of Biology, University of Hong Kong

• Honorary or Guest Professor at:

  • Hong Kong Baptist University

  • Xiamen University, China

  • State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing

• 2019: Awarded an Honorary Ph.D. (Doctor Honoris Causa) by Masaryk University, Czech Republic
   

Research Contributions and Scientific Impact

• Pioneered research in:

  • Environmental toxicology

  • Aquatic toxicology

  • Wildlife and avian toxicology

  • Endocrine-disrupting compounds

  • Metal speciation

  • PAHs, PCBs, pesticides, dioxins, and furans

• Discovered:

  • Photo-enhanced toxicity of organic compounds (e.g., PAHs)

  • The presence of perfluorinated compounds in the environment

• Developed methods for assessing toxicity of contaminated sediments, especially in the Great Lakes

• Secured $245 million CAD in research funding

• Published 1,455 books, chapters, and journal articles; delivered 1,734 lectures worldwide

• Authored 5 books and edited 11, including classics such as:

  • Microcosms in Ecological Research

  • Sediments: The Chemistry and Toxicology of In-Place Pollutants

• Ranked in the top 0.001% of active authors in Ecology and Environmental Sciences

• H-index: 154, i10 index: 1197, 109,220+ citations

 

Professional Leadership and Service

• Served on editorial boards; editor of Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment for Chemosphere.

• Worked extensively with European universities, governments, and research institutions.

• Leadership roles in SETAC:

  • Charter member

  • Board of Directors (1986–1992)

  • President, Great Lakes Regional Chapter (1984)

  • International SETAC President (1990–1991)

  • Chairman, SETAC Foundation for Environmental Education (1992–93)

  • Vice President (1993–2000)

  • SETAC Fellow

• Served on boards of:

  • International Association for Sediment and Water Science

  • International Association of Great Lakes Research

• Alma College:

  • Alumni Board member

  • President of the Alumni Organization (1995–96)

  • Board of Directors (1994–97)

 

Honors and Recognition

• Named International Man of the Year – Environmental Toxicology (1993).

• Received the QUINTESSENCE Award for excellence in environmental contamination and toxicology (1994).

• 2009: Awarded the Einstein Professor Award by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

• 2010: Elected to the National Academy of Sciences of Canada.

• Fellow of:

  • Royal Society of Canada

  • Royal Society of Chemistry (UK)

• Listed in 43 biographical directories, including:

  • Who’s Who in Canada

  • Who’s Who in America

  • Who’s Who in the World

 

Current Roles

• Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Science, University of Saskatchewan

• Emeritus Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University

• Visiting Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas

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