Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

368 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION A fter completing his PhD in engineeringmechanics in 1959, Dr. Byron Tapley joined the engineering faculty of the University at Austin. During his tenure, Dr. Tapley served as chairman of the aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics department from 1966 to 1977, occupied the Clare Cockrell Williams Centennial Chair from 1985 to 2015 and established the Center for Space Research in 1981, serving as the director until 2015. He received the Doctor Honoris Causa from Delft University of Technology in 1998. Dr. Tapley’s research interests have focused on the theory of satellite motion, precision orbit determination and nonlinear parameter estimation. He uses these and other computational methods to apply satellite remote- sensed observations to understand a range of earth system interactions. He was instrumental in establishing the field of Satellite Altimetry in 1980 to monitor ocean circulation and global sea level rise. Since 1997, he has served as mission principal investigator for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), which established the paradigm shifting concept of using gravity variations to monitor water movement over the earth’s surface. He is a distinguished graduate of the Cockrell School of Engineering, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellowof the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). His awards include the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal, the American Astronomical Society Brouwer Award, AIAAMechanics and Control of FLight Award and AGU Charles A. Whitten Medal. Dr. Tapley has co-authored “Statistical Orbit Determination Theory” and has published over 300 articles in refereed journals. He has served on numerous government and National Research Council advisory panels, including the National Research Council Space Studies board and Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Aeronautics and Space Engineering board. He served as a member of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) science Committee and as chair of the NASA earth science subcommittee. BYRON D. TAPLEY, PHD AEROSPACE ENGINEER The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX