Michael Hochella


Michael F. Hochella Jr. is an American geochemist, mineralogist, and a notable figure in the establishment of the field of nanogeoscience. He is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech, a former research professor at Stanford University, and a former Laboratory Fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Hochella is recognized for pioneering the application of high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy to mineral surfaces and nanoparticles, and for showing how nanoscale materials help govern geochemical cycles, pollutant behavior, and environmental and biological processes. He founded and directed the National Science Foundation supported center NanoEarth at Virginia Tech, one of the first national hubs in the world dedicated to environmental nanoscience.
Hochella has served as president of both the Geochemical Society and the Mineralogical Society of America, and has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, the Mineralogical Society of America, the Geochemical Society, the European Association of Geochemistry, the Royal Society of Chemistry, Geological Society of America, and the International Association of GeoChemistry.

Early life and education

Michael F. Hochella Jr. was born in 1953 in Yokohama, Japan, where his father was serving as a flight officer in the U.S. Army after flying B-25 aircraft during World War II.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Geological Sciences at Virginia Tech. He completed his Ph.D. in Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University in 1981 under the supervision of Gordon E. Brown Jr.

Academic career

After receiving his doctorate, Hochella joined Corning Inc. as a senior scientist from 1981 to 1983. He returned to Stanford University as Acting Assistant Professor and Senior Research Associate, and later as Associate Professor from 1989 to 1992.
Hochella joined the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech in 1992 as an associate professor and was promoted to full professor in 1997. His research focused on mineral surface geochemistry and environmental nanoscience, involving laboratory, instrumental, and field-based studies.
In June 2007, he was named University Distinguished Professor, the university’s highest faculty honor.
He founded and directed NanoEarth, a National Science Foundation node in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure which had 17 nodes altogether representing nanoscience and technology in all fields of science and engineering.
In 2019, he was named University Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2016–2025)

Hochella began collaborating with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1989. From 2016 to 2025, he held the positions of Laboratory Fellow and Senior Advisor at PNNL, supporting research in environmental nanotechnology and the nano–bio–geo interface.

Research

Nanogeoscience

Hochella is considered one of the founders of nanogeoscience, a field that examines how natural and anthropogenic nanomaterials influence Earth processes. His work demonstrated that nanoscale minerals and materials regulate contaminant mobility, redox chemistry, nutrient availability, and microbial interactions.

Mineral surface geochemistry

He was among the earliest scientists to apply high-resolution scanning probe microscopies to mineral surfaces. His atomic-scale investigations established fundamental mechanisms of surface dissolution, growth, and chemical reactivity.

Environmental nanoparticles

Hochella’s group identified environmentally significant nanoparticles from coal combustion, mine drainage, aqueous systems, and natural weathering. A 2019–2021 series of studies showed that titanium-oxide nanoparticles from coal burning can enter mammalian lungs and bloodstream, raising concerns about human exposure pathways. More recently, he has worked on the potential use of benign mineral-like engineered nanoparticles in ocean fertilization for large-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal.

Mineral–microbe interactions

His work revealed how microbes interact with mineral surfaces and nanoparticles, influencing nutrient cycles, biomineralization, environmental detoxification, and the formation of reactive mineral phases.

Selected awards and honors

Personal life

Hochella met his wife, Barbara M. Bekken, at Stanford University, where she completed her Ph.D. in 1989. They have two children.