Timothy Laurence Killeen (born 1952) is a British and American

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

space physicist 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, ...

, professor, and university administrator. Killeen took office as the president of the University of Illinois system in 2015. He has been the principal investigator on research projects for

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

and the

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 ...

. Killeen has authored more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as more than 300 other publications and papers. He has served on various

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

committees and task forces and is a past editor-in-chief of the ''

Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics The ''Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the atmospheric and solar-terrestrial physics. It was established in 1950 as the ''Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics'', ...

''.

Early life and education

Killeen was born in

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Wales in early 1952 to Nora Christine (Curran) Killeen and John Francis Killeen. He received his Bachelor of Science in physics and astronomy in 1972 and PhD in atomic and molecular physics in 1975, both from

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, earning his doctorate at the age of 23. After receiving his degree, Killeen worked as a research assistant at the university until 1978.

Career

University of Michigan

Paul Hays, Director of the Space Physics Research Laboratory at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, attracted Killeen to join the SPRL team as a

postdoctoral scholar A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary academ ...

in 1978. It was during this time at SPRL that he helped to develop an instrument of the

TIMED timed (time daemon) is an operating system program that maintains the system time in synchronization with time servers using the Time Synchronization Protocol (TSP) developed by Riccardo Gusella and Stefano Zatti. Gusella and Zatti had done e ...

spacecraft. Killeen worked at the University of Michigan, first as an associate research scientist, before being offered an

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

ship in the department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences in 1987. In 1990, Killeen was offered a full professorship in the department, which he maintained until leaving the University of Michigan in 2000. During his time at the University of Michigan, in 1993 Killeen became the director of the SPRL, the unit that attracted him to join the university's faculty in the first place. He stayed on as director until 1998. In 1997, Killeen was named Associate Vice President for Research as well as Director of the Global Change Laboratory at the university, positions he maintained until his departure in 2000.

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Killeen spent four summers (1983, 1985, 1986, and 1987) as a visiting scientist at the

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 ...

at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

. In 1988, Killeen joined the NCAR as an affiliate scientist, staying on until 1992, less than a year before he was named director of the SPRL. In 2000, Killeen left the University of Michigan to take on a full time position as a senior scientist at the NCAR shortly before being named its director. Killeen remained director until 2008.

NASA

In 1992, Killeen joined the team at

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC ...

as a visiting senior scholar where he contributed to the Polar satellite. Killeen was involved in many

projects, including the design, development and building of the TIMED

Doppler The Doppler effect (also Doppler shift) is the change in the frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the source of the wave. The ''Doppler effect'' is named after the physicist Christian Doppler, who described ...

Interferometer Interferometry is a technique which uses the '' interference'' of superimposed waves to extract information. Interferometry typically uses electromagnetic waves and is an important investigative technique in the fields of astronomy, fiber opt ...

(TIDI) instrument for the TIMED spacecraft. He has also worked on the development of the Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) for various spacecraft, including the Dynamics Explorer Spacecraft.

National Science Foundation

Killeen left as Director of the NCAR to accept the position of Assistant Director for the Geosciences at the

in 2008. Killeen had chaired NSF Committees, including the NSF

Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions"CEDAR" is a US NSF funded program targeting understanding of middle and upper atmospheric dynamics. CEDAR is of relevance to space weather, space physics, and global change. CEDAR involves ...

(CEDAR) Advisory Committee. He remained as assistant director until 2012.

Academia

In 2010, Killeen returned to the University of Colorado Boulder as Lyall Research Professor, leaving again in 2012 to take a position at the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...

. Killeen was named Vice Chancellor for Research at the State University of New York in 2012 and President of the Research Foundation there. In his role, Killeen administered SUNY's $900 million research portfolio. In 2015, Killeen left SUNY to become the 20th President of the University of Illinois system.

Awards and honors

Killeen has been awarded a NASA Achievement Award three times. First in 1985 for his contribution to the Dynamics Explorer spacecraft, again in 1998 for his contribution to the Polar satellite, and a third time in 2006 for his contribution to the

Thermosphere The thermosphere is the layer in the Earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes photoionization/photodissociation of molecules, creating ions; the ...

Ionosphere The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays ...

(TIMED) spacecraft. During his time as a professor at the University of Michigan, Killeen was awarded a 1993 Excellence in Research Award and an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2000, both from the university's

College of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education ( Dip.Eng.)and (B.Eng.) or ( M.Eng.), and any advanced education and specializations tha ...

. In 2005, Killeen was named a Fellow of the

American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is a scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance the atmosph ...

and in 2007 he was elected to the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

for contributions to interferometer design, and measurement and modeling of the properties and dynamics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

. He is also a member of the

New York Academy of Sciences The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), originally founded as the Lyceum of Natural History in January 1817, is a nonprofit professional society based in New York City, with more than 20,000 members from 100 countries. It is the fourth-oldes ...

. Killeen was president of the

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 ...

from 2006 until 2008. In 2010, Killeen was awarded an

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

s from his alma mater, University College London.

References

External links

President's Office - University of Illinois

Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), NSF - National Science Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killeen, Timothy 1952 births Living people Fellows of the American Meteorological Society Leaders of the University of Illinois University of Michigan faculty Alumni of the University of London Alumni of University College London University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty