21
Oct
2026
Guest Speaker
Guest Speaker
Dr. Cornelia Rumpel
Research Director (Exceptional Class), CNRS
Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES Paris), France
Biography
Cornelia Rumpel is a CNRS Research Director (Exceptional Class) at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES Paris), where her research focuses on soil organic matter dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, and the role of soils in climate change mitigation. Her work combines fundamental and applied research to understand the mechanisms governing soil carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, with particular emphasis on sustainable soil management in temperate and tropical (agro)ecosystems.
She obtained her PhD in Forestry from the Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany) and completed her Habilitation at Sorbonne University (formerly Pierre and Marie Curie University) in Paris. Before joining CNRS, she held research positions in Germany, including at the Technical University of Munich.
Dr. Rumpel has authored more than 270 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in Nature journals, and has received over 33,000 citations (Google Scholar; h-index 84). She has delivered more than 70 invited keynote lectures at international conferences and over 30 invited seminars worldwide.
Her scientific contributions have been recognized through numerous distinctions, including the 2026 Von Liebig Award of the International Union of Soil Sciences and the 2026 Duchaufour Medal of the European Geosciences Union. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, a Visiting Professor at Universidad de La Frontera (Chile), and has previously served as Guest Professor at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Beyond her research, Dr. Rumpel plays an active role in the international scientific community. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of Geoderma and holds editorial positions with several leading journals. She has chaired the Scientific and Technical Committee of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative and has served in leadership roles within the European Geosciences Union. Throughout her career, she has supervised nearly 30 PhD students and numerous postdoctoral researchers and has coordinated major national and international research projects on soils, carbon cycling, and climate change.