Geophysicist selected for prestigious international program
A Virginia Tech geophysicist has been invited to spend time over the next three years at a German university as part of a program designed to attract the world's leading scientists to that country.
Scott D. King, professor of geophysics in the College of Science, was invited by the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation to collaborate as a senior research fellow with other scientists at the Bayerishes Geoinstitut. King’s international colleagues are noted among the best in the world at high-pressure deep-earth research.
“Since his arrival from Purdue University in 2007, Professor Scott King has brought new visibility to the Department of Geosciences through his cutting-edge research on the dynamics and evolution of the interior of planets,” said Ken Eriksson, chair of the department.
King earned his Ph.D. in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty at Virginia Tech in fall 2007. His research focuses on the dynamics and evolution of the interior of the terrestrial planets, more specifically how mantle convection and plate motions are part of a linked system. King’s research in Germany will center on subduction (the movement of one tectonic plate under another) and the origin of deep-focus earthquakes.
The Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation promotes academic cooperation between scientists and scholars from around the world. Fellowship awardees come to Germany to pursue a research project with a host and collaborative partner. Participants are selected based on their academic record. The program promotes international cultural dialogue and academic exchange.
