Thure E. Cerling received his Bachelor of Science degree in geology and chemistry from Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa, in 1972, and, in 1973, his Master of Science in geology from Iowa State. In 1977 he was awarded a Ph.D. in geology from the University of California at Berkeley. From 1977 to 1979 he worked as a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and, from 1979 he has been a member of the University of Utah's faculty.