George L. Siscoe (June13, 1937April9, 2022) was an American physicist and professor emeritus of

space physics Space physics, also known as space plasma physics, is the study of naturally occurring plasmas within Earth's upper atmosphere and the rest of the Solar System. It includes the topics of aeronomy, aurorae, planetary ionospheres and magnetospheres, ...

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. He made major contributions to the understanding of the

Earth's magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior Dynamo ...

and the

heliosphere The heliosphere is the magnetosphere, astrosphere, and outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun. It takes the shape of a vast, tailed bubble-like region of space. In plasma physics terms, it is the cavity formed by the Sun in the surrounding ...

, particularly in helping to establishing the field of

space weather Space weather is a branch of space physics and aeronomy, or heliophysics, concerned with the varying conditions within the Solar System and its heliosphere. This includes the effects of the solar wind, especially on the Earth's magnetosphere, ion ...

and the term ''

heliophysics Heliophysics (from the prefix "wikt:helio-, helio", from Attic Greek ''hḗlios'', meaning Sun, and the noun "physics": the science of matter and energy and their interactions) is the physics of the Sun and its connection with the Solar System. ...

'' - a term which is now standard use.

Early life and education

Siscoe was born in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...

, in 1937 and studied at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT), receiving his bachelor's degree in 1960 and his doctorate in 1964, both in

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

Research career

Siscoe published over 300 peer-reviewed articles (as of 10 October 2019) across a range of topics within space physics. His early career was as a postdoctoral fellow at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...

, becoming an assistant professor of physics at MIT in 1966 before moving to the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

(UCLA) as a tenured professor. While at UCLA, he was chair of the Department of Atmospheric Science from 1983 to 1988 and again from 1991 to 1993. In 1993, he made his final move to

as a research professor. Alongside academic papers, Siscoe co-edited a monograph on space weather and several textbooks on

. He was a fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), where the fellowship program recognizes AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space science through a breakthrough, discovery, or innovation in their field. In his retirement he owned and ran the Old Professor's Bookshop in

Belfast, Maine Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 6,938. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay (Maine), Belfast Bay and Penobsc ...

Awards, honors, and scientific citizenship

* Chair, Committee on Space and Solar Physics (CSSP), National Research Council (NRC), 1997–2000 *Chair, Geospace General Circulation Model (GGCM) Steering Committee,

National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...

/ Geospace Environment Modeling (NSF/GEM), 1997–2000 *The James Van Allen Lecture is presented two out of every three years to a space scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of magnetospheric science by the American Geophysical Union. Siscoe received this honor in 1991, only the second time it had been awarded * Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (1987) *Chair, Panel on Long-Term Solar-Terrestrial Observations, NRC, 1985–1987 *Chair, Scientific Programs Evaluation Committee,

National Center for Atmospheric Research The US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR ) is a US federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and funded by the National Science Foundat ...

(NCAR), 1986–1987 *Chair of NASA's Space Physics Advisory Committee (1985–1991) *Editor of the '' Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR)'' and associate editor of '' Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siscoe, George 1937 births 2022 deaths Boston University faculty 20th-century American physicists Scientists from Michigan People from Lansing, Michigan Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty University of California, Los Angeles faculty Fellows of the American Geophysical Union American academic journal editors