Stevens alumnus Lynch among five Woods Hole researchers recognized for Contributions to Science and Education
HOBOKEN, N.J. — Five researchers have been recognized by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for their contributions to ocean sciences research and education, including Dr. James Lynch, an alumnus of Stevens Institute of Technology. All will receive funding provided by the endowed awards to support their research over periods of three to five years. The awards are effective January 1, 2005.
Four of the researchers, including Lynch, have been named recipients of endowed senior scientist chairs that provide financial support for five years, allowing the recipient the freedom to pursue a variety of career interests. One investigator received a technical staff award that provides support over three years.
Dr. James Lynch, recipient of the Robert W. Morse Chair for Excellence in Oceanography, is a senior scientist in the Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1972 and a doctorate in physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978. He joined the WHOI staff as an assistant scientist in 1982, was appointed associate scientist in 1986, and was named senior scientist in 1997.
Lynch’s research interests include underwater acoustics, with emphasis on shallow water and arctic acoustics, and acoustic tomography. Over the past two decades he has been a leader of an international community of experimental and theoretical acousticians, geologists and oceanographers pursuing shallow water acoustics. Colleagues note that he has been “an innovative and invaluable researcher” in the fields of acoustics, geology and physical oceanography, and has “paved the way to a better understanding of the complicated and many faceted problem of acoustic propagation in shallow water environments.”
Lynch has also been active in the Institution’s joint graduate program with MIT, teaching both ocean and seabed acoustics, and has worked to bring geologists, physical oceanographers, engineers and acoustic physicists together for productive research. The Morse chair is named for former Associate Director and Dean of Graduate Studies Robert Morse, a physicist with research interests in underwater acoustics, who passed away in 2001.
The endowed senior scientists chairs are each awarded for a five-year period to tenured members of the Institution's scientific staff who have “distinguished themselves through extraordinary scientific research and education.” Nominations are solicited from the scientific staff, with selection based on the individual's record of scientific excellence. The Institution’s Director and Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees approve the awards.
In addition to Lynch the other recognized researchers are Dr. Lloyd Keigwin, Dr. James Moffett, Dr. John Toole, and Larry Ball.
About Woods Hole
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, independent marine research and engineering and higher education organization located in Falmouth, MA. Its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, the Institution operates the US National Deep Submergence Facility that includes the deep-diving submersible Alvin, a fleet of global ranging ships and smaller coastal vessels, and a variety of other tethered and autonomous underwater vehicles. WHOI is organized into five departments, interdisciplinary institutes and a marine policy center, and conducts a joint graduate education program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.
Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.
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