Larry Braile named Head of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Dean Jeff Vitter announced in July that Professor Larry Braile will assume the role of Department Head for the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, effective August 7, 2006, for a three-year term. He replaces Jon Harbor, who will become Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.

Larry received his bachelor’s degree (1969) and master’s degree (1970) degrees in geological sciences from the University of Washington and his doctorate (1973) in geophysics from the University of Utah. He joined the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in 1973. Larry is the author or co-author of over 90 research papers in scientific journals or book chapters, and he has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on approximately 60 research grants and contracts since coming to Purdue University. He teaches geophysics and earth science classes and conducts seismology and other geophysical research. He has participated in crustal seismic projects in the Basin and Range Province topographic region, the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain area, the Rio Grande Rift, the U.S. mid-continent, and the East African rift system.

Larry is very active in earth science education and has worked extensively with K-12 teachers. He has conducted more than 140 workshops on seismology and other earth science topics at state and national science teacher association meetings in the past decade and has developed an extensive set of online earth science education resources and lessons focused on earthquakes, seismology, plate tectonics, and related Earth science topics. Since 1985, he has been a member of the faculty of the SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience), an education and research program in applied geophysics program. He has been active in the NSF-sponsored IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) consortium as chair of the PASSCAL standing committee (1986-1991), member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors (1987-1990), and Chair of the Education and Outreach Committee (1996-2001).