Paul Sylvester

Paul Joseph Sylvester is a geochemist, academic, editor, and author. He is the Endowed Pevehouse Chair and Professor of Geosciences at Texas Tech University.

Sylvester is known for his work in developing analytical methods for mineral micro-analysis using LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) and for applying U-Th-Pb geochronology and Hf-Nd-Sr-Pb isotope tracing in research across various subdisciplines of the geosciences. This has included studies of crustal evolution, critical metal ore formation, igneous petrogenesis, and sedimentary provenance. Sylvester is a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America, the Geological Society of America, and the Society of Economic Geologists. He was listed in Stanford University's "World's Top 2% Scientists" in 2020, ranked in the top 0.46% in the geochemistry and geophysics discipline according to their standardized citation metrics in 2023, and has an h-index of 61 as of 2025. He served as Editor-in-Chief of ''Minerals'' from 2016 to 2023, has been Joint Editor-in-Chief of ''Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research'' since 2016, and Founding Editor-in-Chief of ''Critical Insights in Geochemistry & Geophysics'' since 2024. Provided by Wikipedia