James E. Atwater (born September 22, 1946) is a retired North American multidisciplinary physical scientist with training in

geophysics Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and Physical property, properties of Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. Geophysicists conduct i ...

, chemistry, and biological science. Atwater holds courtesy faculty appointments with the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

ResearchGate ResearchGate is a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a 2014 study by ''Nature'' and a 2016 article in ''Times Higher Education' ...

he has accumulated a score for Research Interest of 385.8 with a total of 674 citations of his peer-reviewed publications, as of June 8, 2022. He was awarded the

Wright Brothers Medal The Wright Brothers Medal was conceived of in 1924 by the Dayton Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the SAE established it in 1927 to recognize individuals who have made notable contributions in the engineering, design, developme ...

for his work on microwave-powered methods for

microbial A microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in ...

stabilization and water recovery from solid waste. Atwater served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(1963–1967) prior to attending the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

(1968–1975) and

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a Public university, public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the St ...

(1975).

Early life and career

In his early career (1977–1980), Atwater concentrated on methods and instrumentation for identification and quantification of radionuclides associated with uranium exploration and recovery by

gamma ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol ), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from high energy interactions like the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei or astronomical events like solar flares. It consists o ...

and

alpha particle Alpha particles, also called alpha rays or alpha radiation, consist of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle identical to a helium-4 nucleus. They are generally produced in the process of alpha decay but may also be produce ...

energy spectrometry. Subsequently, (1980–1987) he applied radiometric geophysical well logging techniques to the characterization of sandstone, limestone, dolomite and shale core samples. At this time he also refined methods for the determination of porosity and permeability of unconsolidated bitumen and heavy oil bearing sands. Later Atwater's attention turned to problems of long-term human presence in space, working on regenerable systems for water and air purification, and means for decomposition and stabilization of solid waste materials and recovery of useful resources therefrom. During these years Atwater and colleagues also developed novel sensors and analytical instrumentation for monitoring and control of life support systems. In addition to instrumentation and methods, much of this work entailed the development of novel materials and the characterization of material properties, particularly with respect to magnetic and broadband microwave dielectric phenomena. Other research includes the study of multiphase immiscible fluid flow in porous media, and the recovery of hydrogen from methane (natural gas) using magnetically stabilized fluidized bed and microwave plasma reactors.Atwater, J.E., Wheeler, R.R., Jr., Hadley, N.M., Dahl, R.W., and Carrasquillo, R.L., "Hydrogen Recovery by Methane Decomposition in a Microwave Plasma Reactor", ''SAE International Journal of Aerospace'' 1, 337–346, 2009. Though in retirement, Atwater continues his association with former colleagues, providing theoretical analysis of experimental data and preparation of materials for publication.

Family

Atwater is the son of the noted avalanche control pioneer and author

Montgomery Atwater Montgomery Meigs "Monty" Atwater (1904–1976) was an American avalanche researcher, forester, skier, and author. He is considered the founder of the field of avalanche research and forecasting in North America. Early life In 1904, Atwater ...

; the grandson of Maxwell Atwater, the first mining engineer to employ flotation hydrometallurgy in North America; and the grandson of

Mary Meigs Atwater Mary Meigs Atwater (February 28, 1878 – September 5, 1956) was an American weaver. She revived Weaving, handweaving in America by collecting weaving drafts, teaching and writing; ''Handweaver and Craftsman'' called Atwater "the grand dame and gr ...

, the "Dean of American Hand Weaving". Other notable family members include his great-aunt

Cornelia Meigs Cornelia Lynde Meigs (1884–1973) was an American writer of fiction and biography for children, teacher of English and writing, historian and critic of children's literature. She won the Newbery Medal for her 1933 biography of Louisa May Alcott ...

, a noted teacher historian and novelist; his great-grandfather Montgomery C. Meigs Jr., an accomplished civil engineer; and his great-great-grandfather Brigadier General

Montgomery C. Meigs Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (; May 3, 1816 – January 2, 1892) was a career United States Army officer and military and civil engineer, who served as Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army during and after the American Civil War. Although a Sou ...

, a military and civil engineer, Quartermaster General of the Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, and one of those present at the death bed of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atwater, James E. 1946 births Living people 20th-century United States Marines 20th-century American chemists 20th-century Canadian chemists 21st-century Canadian chemists 21st-century American chemists 20th-century American physicists 21st-century American physicists American geophysicists Canadian geophysicists Scientists from Salt Lake City University of Utah alumni University at Albany, SUNY alumni Scientists from Montana Scientists from Alberta Scientists from Oregon People from Kalispell, Montana Meigs family