Michael F. Hochella Jr. was born in 1953 in Yokohama, Japan at the end of the Korean War. His father, a decorated U.S. Army pilot in World War II flying B-25 aircraft[4], also flew in Korea. Shortly after Hochella’s birth, his family relocated multiple times due to his father’s military service, including postings in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Stuttgart, Germany; Poitiers, France; and Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Following his father’s retirement from active duty, the family settled in Bel Air, Maryland, where Hochella attended middle and high school.[5]
He earned his B.S. (1975) and M.S. (1977) 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.[6][7]
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 (1983–1989), and later as Associate Professor (Research) from 1989 to 1992.[8]
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.[9]
He founded and directed NanoEarth, a National Science Foundation node in the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) which had 17 nodes altogether representing nanoscience and technology in all fields of science and engineering.[11][12]
In 2019, he was named University Distinguished Professor Emeritus.[13][14]
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2016–2025)
Hochella began collaborating with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) 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.[15]
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.[16][17][18]
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.[15]
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.[19][20][21] 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.[22][23][24]
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.[25]
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