Douglas C. B. Whittet
Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics, Applied Physics & Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, New York 12180
Education
- 1975 – Ph.D. (Astronomy), University of St Andrews
- 1971 – M.Sc. (Radio Astronomy), University of Manchester
- 1970 – B.Sc. Hons. (Physics), University of St Andrews
Professional Career
- 1994/2016 – Professor of Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- 1991/94 – Associate Professor of Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- 1990/91 – Professor of Astronomy, University of Central Lancashire
- 1980/90 – Senior Lecturer, University of Central Lancashire
- 1978/80 – Post-doctoral Research Associate, University College, London
- 1975/77 – Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of St Andrews
Visiting Positions
- 2005/06 – Visiting Professor, Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology
- 1989/92 – Visiting Astronomer, Space Research Organization of the Netherlands, University of Groningen
- 1988/89 – Visiting Professor, Physics Department, York University, Toronto, and Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto
Professional Activities and Awards
- Director, New York Center for Astrobiology (2008/15)
- Principal Investigator, NASA Astrobiology Institute (2008/15)
- Council of Institutions representative, Universities Space Research Association (2008/16)
- Principal Investigator, NASA Exobiology & Evolutionary Biology research programs (1998/2016)
- Principal Investigator, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy funded observational research program (2012/15)
- Principal Investigator, Spitzer Space Telescope funded observational and archival research programs (2004/11)
- Co-organizer, NASA Astrobiology Institute “Workshop Without Walls: The Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early Solar System” (2010)
- Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, Symposium “Astronomical Polarimetry 2008” (2006/08)
- Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, Symposium “The Astrophysics of Dust” (2002/03)
- Rensselaer Alumni Association Teacher of the Year award winner (2002)
- Associate Director, New York Center for Studies of the Origins of Life (1998/2006)
- Member of Editorial Board, Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere (1997/2014)
- Guest Investigator, European Space Agency, Infrared Space Observatory Guaranteed Time (1990/97)
- Principal Investigator, NASA Long-Term Space Astrophysics Program (1992/97)
- Chair, Scientific Organizing Committee, Symposium “Polarimetry of the Interstellar Medium” (1995)
Professional Affiliations
- Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Member of the International Astronomical Union
- Member of the American Astronomical Society
- Member of the American Institute of Physics
Publications
- Book: Origins of Life: A Cosmic Perspective, Institute of Physics Concise Physics Series, 2017.
- Book: Dust in the Galactic Environment (2nd Ed.) Institute of Physics Graduate Series in Astronomy.
- Book edited: Planetary and Interstellar Processes Relevant to the Origins of Life, Kluwer.
- Over 20 invited review papers, articles and book chapters.
- Most recent contributed book chapter: Interstellar polarization (with T. Jones) in Polarimetry of Stars and Planetary Systems (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
- Conference proceedings edited: Polarimetry of the Interstellar Medium, (with W. Roberge), Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
- Over 190 research papers in refereed journals (citation h-index = 48).
- Over 180 contributed conference papers and other non-refereed publications.