Pat McLaughlin is a University of Illinois research scientist with the Illinois State Geological Survey. His research is focused on Earth systems history, particularly deciphering the recorded interactions of the lithosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Illinois State University (1999) and M.Sc. (2002) and Ph.D. (2006) degrees at the University of Cincinnati (2006) where he studied sequence and event stratigraphy as a doctoral fellow. An NSF-funded post-doctoral study and research collaborations with the US Geological Survey led to a specialization in chemostratigraphy, particularly new applications of C-isotopes and portable X-ray fluorescence. His field- and subsurface-based studies span the Proterozoic to Pliocene on three continents, with an emphasis on the lower Paleozoic of eastern North America. He has over a decade of experience in geologic mapping and is a leader in the study of critical minerals in phosphorites and black shales across the eastern U.S.