Raymond E. Arvidson, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Arts and Sciences, was installed as James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor Nov. 30 at a ceremony in Holmes Lounge.
Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton praised Arvidson for his outstanding teaching and research and his success in building one of the most distinguished departments of earth and planetary sciences in the nation.
"Our Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences today is recognized as one of the best anywhere, thanks in large part to Ray Arvidson's work and dedication from the moment he arrived here in 1974 to today," Wrighton said. "His research in space sciences closely reflects the vision of James S. McDonnell, who anticipated some of the achievements that Ray has been involved with in his career. As an educator, Ray has inspired and trained students for a quarter of a century through his innovative methods and his enthusiastic commitment."
James S. McDonnell (1899-1980), was an aviation pioneer and the visionary founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corp. He gave generous support to the University, first establishing a professorship in space sciences in 1964 and then the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences in Arts and Sciences in 1975. He made many additional contributions, particularly in the field of genetics and studies of the human mind and brain. His sons, James S. III and John F., continue a program of directed philanthropy that reflects the James S. McDonnell legacy through the charitable foundation he established.
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Funds for the McDonnell professorship came from a recent contribution of $6.5 million from JSM Charitable Trust, of which $6 million has been designated for the endowment of three distinguished professorships. Arvidson is the second faculty member to be named a James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor; Henry L. Roediger III, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Psychology in Arts and Sciences, was the first.
"Ray Arvidson is a respected scholar, an excellent teacher and an outstanding University citizen," said Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor and dean of Arts and Sciences. "He has done extraordinary work throughout Arts and Sciences and in his department and is a great leader both in our University and in the field of earth and planetary sciences."
Arvidson also will be awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching Thursday, Dec. 10, at a ceremony at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, Mo. Awardees were selected for their effective teaching and advising, service to their institutions, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.
Arvidson joined the earth and planetary sciences department in 1974 after receiving a doctorate in geology from Brown University that year. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1969 from Temple University and a master's degree in 1971 from Brown University, both also in geology. In 1984 he was made full professor and in 1991 was appointed department chair. He also is a fellow of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences here.
Arvidson is deeply involved in research. He was the team leader of the Viking Lander Imaging Team from 1970 to 1982 and a member of the science team for the Magellan Mission to Venus from 1989 to 1994.
Arvidson is an interdisciplinary scientist on the Mars Global Surveyor, head of NASA's Planetary Data System Geosciences Node, a director of NASA's Regional Planetary Image Center and a deputy investigator of the Athena Mars Rover for the 2001 mission. He is deputy principal investigator for imaging and spectroscopy experiments on the 2001 Mars lander and rover and the Athena payload for the 2003 Mars rover, and he is in charge of science operations for landers and rovers in both operations. He has more than 100 publications dealing with remote sensing of Earth, Mars and Venus.
Arvidson works extensively to connect earth and planetary sciences to other departments in Arts and Sciences. He has played a leadership role in the development of the Environmental Studies Program and the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He works with graduate students on many projects and is an enthusiastic teacher of undergraduates, particularly in the Hewlett Program in Environmental Studies, a two-year program that offers an innovative, problem-based approach to learning. It reaches across traditional disciplines, incorporating small discussion classes, collaborative projects, lectures, field trips and cultural and social activities. Arvidson and two faculty colleagues lead the course, which last year included a field trip to the Mojave Desert, where students evaluated environmental degradation of the desert and the formation of the new Mojave National Preserve.
