Robert L. Parker is an American geophysicist and mathematician, currently holding a Professor Emeritus of Geophysics position at the

Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) is the center for oceanography and Earth science at the University of California, San Diego. Its main campus is located in La Jolla, with additional facilities in Point Loma. Founded in 1903 and incorpo ...

at the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

in La Jolla, California.

The Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics in La Jolla

After completing a B.A. in Natural Sciences in 1963, M.A. in 1964, and Ph.D. in 1966 in Geophysics at

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

in England, Parker moved to the U.S. to work at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP). He has subsequently built on work by Freeman Gilbert and George Backus regarding inverse theory and is a world-renowned expert on the general subject of inverse theory, having written one of the authoritative books on the subject:'' Geophysical Inverse Theory ''. He is a former director of IGPP.

Personal life

Parker is an avid bicyclist and keeps track of all of his miles. He has also written about the energy behind bicycle physics.

Awards

John Adam Fleming Medal John Adam Fleming, (January 28, 1877 – July 29, 1956) was an American geophysicist interested in the magnetosphere and the atmospheric electricity. Fleming worked first at the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey with his superior Louis Agri ...

, American Geophysical Union (2008) *

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society is the highest award given by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The RAS Council have "complete freedom as to the grounds on which it is awarded" and it can be awarded for any reason. Past awar ...

(1998) *Fellow, Royal Society of London (1989) *Fellow,

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...

(1976) *

James B. Macelwane Medal The James B. Macelwane Medal is awarded annually by the American Geophysical Union to three to five early career scientists (no more than 10 years beyond having received their Ph.D.). It is named after James B. Macelwane, a Jesuit priest and one of ...

of the American Geophysical Union (1976) *

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

(1975) *Sloan Fellowship (1969–1971) *Downing College Bye Fellowship (1965–1966) *Downing College, Major Open Scholarship (1960–1963) *State Scholarship Grant (1960–1963

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Robert Ladislav Living people Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge American geophysicists University of California, San Diego faculty Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society Fellows of the American Geophysical Union Fellows of the Royal Society 1942 births