Department/College/UnitPhysical & Biological Sciences Division

TitleProfessor Emeritus

AffiliationFaculty

Other UCSC Campus AffiliationAstronomy & Astrophysics Department

Primary Office LocationRemote work location
N/A

Mail StopEarth and Planetary Sciences

Biography, Education and Training

2006-: UCSC Earth and Planetary Sciences, Professor
2002-2006: UCSC Earth Sciences, Associate Professor
2000-2002: UCSC Earth Sciences, Assistant Professor
1998-2000: UCSC Earth Sciences, Assoc. Geophysicist
1996-1998: SETI Institute, Principal Investigator
1993-1995: NASA Ames NRC Postdoctoral Fellow
1988-1993: U. Arizona, Tucson, Graduate Researcher
1985-1988: St. Gregory HS, Science and English Faculty
PhD: 1993: U. Arizona: Planetary Sciences, Geophysics
BS: 1984: Rice University: Mathematics and English

Summary of Expertise

Planetary collisions and origins
Comet and asteroid geophysics
Surface processes
The Moon
Near-Earth objects
Solar system exploration

Research Interests

Asteroid and comet geophysics, Mars surface evolution, planetary collisions of all kinds, and the origin of planets, satellites, meteorites and their parent bodies. I am also interested in spacecraft exploration of comets and asteroids, and zero gravity experiments to understand the rheology and petrology of small bodies and accreting planetesimals.

Teaching Interests

Planetary Surfaces
Planetary Discovery
Formation of the Solar System
Planetary Collisions

Awards, Honors and Grants

Asteroid 7939 Asphaug
Harold C. Urey prize of the AAS