2026 Robert M. Walker Distinguished Lectures Colloquium

Thorsten Kleine is Director and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, where he leads research into the origin and evolution of the Solar System. A cosmochemist and meteorite researcher, his work uses high-precision isotope analyses of meteorites and planetary materials to investigate how planets, asteroids, and moons formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. Previously a professor at the University of Münster and researcher at ETH Zürich, Kleine is internationally recognized for groundbreaking contributions to planetary science and the study of early Solar System history. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the F. W. Clarke Medal, the Nier Prize, and the Victor Moritz Goldschmidt Award.