Odysseus Archontikis (2019, DPhil in Earth and Environmental Sciences) has just been appointed the Chair of Nannofossils of The Micropalaeontological Society at its recent Annual Conference on Micropalaeontology and Geological Applications. The conference was held online at Charles University, Prague on 17–19 November 2021.

The Micropalaeontological Society (TMS) is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to advance the education of the public in the study of Micropalaeontology and is operated for scientific and educational purposes. The nannofossil working group aims to bring workers together to disseminate knowledge and facilitate research worldwide relating to the study of Calcareous Nannofossils.

Odysseus is currently pursuing a DPhil degree in Earth Sciences and is fascinated by the bidirectional interplay between plankton (palaeo)biology and the Earth’s climate. His DPhil project attempts to understand the evolutionary history of marine calcifying microplankton under past and future climate change through a combined analysis of fossil record, ocean biogeochemistry and evolutionary approaches. He is funded by NERC-DTP and an Oxford-Radcliffe Scholarship at University College. Previously, he completed a Master’s degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Lille, France and a BSc in Geology & Geoenvironment at the University of Athens, Greece.

Alongside his DPhil studies, Odysseus is a Council member and the Social Media Officer of the International Nannoplankton Association, a not-for-profit society to promote research and education in all subjects relating to nannoplankton. He has been the recipient of the international ECORD Graduate Research Award for conducting research on aspects of the International Ocean Drilling Program, and he has been a visiting researcher at CEREGE and Marseille University in 2021 to work on automated microscopy and machine-learning approaches. Odysseus has assisted in the demonstration of Geology courses in Oxford and has been invited to give lectures to undergraduates and post-graduates in France and Malta. He is currently the MCR Environment and Hall Officer in Univ and has also served in 2019–2020 as the Vice-President of Univ MCR.

Odysseus commented, “I am over the Moon to be informed I have been appointed the next TMS Nannofossil Group Chair! It is a splendid opportunity, and I am highly enthused to help promote the beautiful realm of nannofossils to the scientific and public audience. I warmly thank TMS committee members and Sarah Alvarez and Amy Jones for taking the leap of faith to appoint me to this position and my colleagues Giuliana Villa and Emanuela Mattioli for suggesting I apply. I also thank Jeremy Young and Mahdi Bendif for their kind encouragement and for adding excitement to the wonderful news of being appointed. I shall not forget my supervisor Prof. Ros Rickaby for her continuous support in my DPhil studies and Univ for supporting my research. I am looking forward to contributing to the initiatives of TMS and my wonderful task now is to fulfil their expectations.”

Published: 24 November 2021

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