Richard Waitt

“If only I could record and write simply enough—as if a compelling fictional short story—this true-life science might be read by people who won’t otherwise read science.”—Richard Waitt

For decades, Richard Waitt has studied, written and spoken on geological processes—especially those related to volcanoes and the Pacific Northwest. He collaborated on and appeared in eight films, including the Discovery Channel’s “Amazing Earth,” “Mystery of the Megaflood” for PBS-NOVA, National Geographic Channel’s “Ice Age Meltdown,” and History Channel’s “How the Earth Was Made.” He has published articles in journals such as the “American Journal of Science,” “Alaska: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research,” and the “Geological Society of America Bulletin,” and is a contributor to several books including “The Geology of Washington and Beyond—From Laurentia to Cascadia,” and “The High-Mountain Cryosphere—Environmental Changes and Human Risks.”

Education
University of Texas (Austin), B.S. and M.S. in geology
University of Washington, Ph.D. in geological sciences. (Thesis: Glacial History in the North Cascades)

Employment
Research Geologist, United States Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington
Geologist, USGS, Branch of Western Environmental Geology, Menlo Park, California
Assistant Professor, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Professional Memberships
Geological Society of America (Fellow)
American Geophysical Union

Awards
USGS GK Gilbert Fellowship, 1986
Geological Society of America, Kirk Bryan Award, 1987