G. Michael Purdy
Encyclopedia
Graham Michael "Mike" Purdy is a British
geophysicist and oceanographer who specializes in marine seismology. He is the current Director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
(LDEO) of Columbia University
.
of the University of London
, then received a PhD in marine geophysics from the University of Cambridge
in 1974.
and the foundation-wide Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) initiative, which he established in 1997 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97126/nsf97126.pdf.
, an inter-departmental research institute founded in 1995 to address the complex social, economic, and environmental implications of the earth sciences. LDEO is the largest component of this alliance, and Purdy has taken an interest in interdisciplinary approaches to the traditional earth science work of the department. For example, he began the Director’s Series on the Science of Diversity, bringing researchers in the social sciences to LDEO to speak on issues such as gender differences in scientific research productivity. He has dedicated particular attention to the problem of climate change
, particularly as highlighted by the work of fellow LDEO scientist Wally Broecker
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
geophysicist and oceanographer who specializes in marine seismology. He is the current Director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
The Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory is a research unit of Columbia University located on a campus in Palisades, N.Y., north of Manhattan on the Hudson River.- History :...
(LDEO) of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Education
Purdy received a B.S. with honors in 1969 and an M.S. in 1970 from Imperial CollegeImperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, then received a PhD in marine geophysics from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1974.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
After leaving Cambridge, Purdy joined WHOI in 1974 as a Post Doctoral Scholar. In 1991, he became Chairman of the Department of Geology and Geophysics (G&G), a position he held until leaving WHOI in 1995 for the NSF.National Science Foundation
From 1995 to 2000, Purdy served as the Director of the Division of Ocean Sciences in the Geosciences Directorate of the NSF. He oversaw a breadth of research activities, including the international Ocean Drilling ProgramOcean Drilling Program
The Ocean Drilling Program was an international cooperative effort to explore and study the composition and structure of the Earth's ocean basins. ODP, which began in 1985, was the direct successor to the highly successful Deep Sea Drilling Project initiated in 1968 by the United States...
and the foundation-wide Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) initiative, which he established in 1997 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97126/nsf97126.pdf.
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
At LDEO, Purdy has worked to further the department's role in The Earth Institute at Columbia UniversityThe Earth Institute
The Earth Institute was established at Columbia University in 1995. The research institute's stated mission is to address complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants, with particular focus on sustainable development and the needs of the world's poor...
, an inter-departmental research institute founded in 1995 to address the complex social, economic, and environmental implications of the earth sciences. LDEO is the largest component of this alliance, and Purdy has taken an interest in interdisciplinary approaches to the traditional earth science work of the department. For example, he began the Director’s Series on the Science of Diversity, bringing researchers in the social sciences to LDEO to speak on issues such as gender differences in scientific research productivity. He has dedicated particular attention to the problem of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, particularly as highlighted by the work of fellow LDEO scientist Wally Broecker
Wallace S. Broecker
Wallace Smith Broecker is the Newberry Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and a scientist at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory...
.
Awards and honors
- Maurice Ewing Medal (American Geophysical UnionAmerican Geophysical UnionThe American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
, U.S. NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
), 2006
External links
- LDEO home page
- Earth Institute home page
- LDEO Page on Maurice Ewing Medal
- Announcement of appointment as director of LDEO
- LDEO "Letter from the Director"
- ISI Highly-Cited Researcher Page
- QuickTime video of Purdy discussing the "need for a global perspective in science research and training" from The Earth Institutehttp://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/library/videos2001-03.html