Biographical entry Kennett, Brian Leslie Norman (1948 - )

Summary

Brian Leslie N. Kennett is currently Professor of Seismology at the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University in Canberra. He is also Director of the ANSIR National Research Facility and a Past President of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI). He has made numerous discoveries of deep Earth structure, was instrumental in establishing the accepted model by which earthquakes are located, and has conducted a systematic study of the seismic properties of the whole Australian continent. Taken in part from the Royal Society web site http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=3173#c6.

Details

After completing a Ph.D. in Theoretical Seismology at the University of Cambridge (1973) Brian Leslie Norman Kennett was appointed a Lindemann Fellow at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP), University of California, in San Diego. He left in 1975 and took up the post of University Lecturer at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. Kennett moved to the Research School of Earth Sciences in 1984 as Professorial Fellow, and was Interim Director of the School in 1993, and Chair of BIAS and Pro-Vice-Chancellor from 1994-1997. He was President of the International Association of Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors (IASPEI) from 1999-2003.

Brian Kennett's research has covered a very wide range of topics in seismology from exploration work with seismic reflection to the free oscillations of the Earth, and has developed Earth models that are now standard in many applications e.g. earthquake location. He has received recognition through the Adams Prize of the University of Cambridge (1983), Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (1987), Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences (1994), Jaeger Medal of the Australian Academy of Sciences (2005), Fellow of the Royal Society, London (2005), and the Murchison medal of the Geological Society of London (2006). Bio-sketch (edited) supplied by Professor Kennett, 2006.

Events

1969

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA) completed at the University of Cambridge, UK

c. 1970

Education - Master of Arts (MA) completed at the University of Cambridge

1972 - 1976

Career position - Research Fellow at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge

1973

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the University of Cambridge

1974 - 1975

Career position - Lindemann Trust Fellow and Visiting Assistant Research Geophysicist at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP), University of California, USA

1975 - 1976

Career position - Senior Assistant in Research in the Department of Geodesy and Geophysics at the University of Cambridge

1976 - 1979

Career position - Assistant Lecturer in Applied Mathematics (and Theoretical Physics) at the University of Cambridge

1977 - 1984

Career position - Director of Studies in Mathematics at Emmanuel College

1979 - 1984

Career position - Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge

1980 - 1981

Career position - Visiting Fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado, USA (nine months)

1982 - 1984

Career position - Senior Scientist Visiting Fellow of the Royal Norwegian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (NTNF) at Norsar (Norwegian Seismic Array) in Kjeller, Norway (multiple visits)

1984 - 1991

Career position - Professorial Fellow and Head of Seismology at the Research School of Earth Sciences at the Australian National University in Canberra

1988 -

Award - Fellow of the American Geophysical Union

1991 -

Career position - Professor and Head of the Seismology Group at the Research School of Earth Sciences

1992

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received from the University of Cambridge

1993 - 1994

Career position - Interim Director of the Research School of Earth Sciences (twelve months)

1994 -

Award - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1994 - 1997

Career position - ProVice-Chancellor and Chair of the Board of the Institute of Advanced Studies at the Australian National University

1996 -

Career position - Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society

1997 - 2002

Career position - Deputy Director of the Australian National Seismic Imaging Resource Major National Research Facility

1998 -

Award - Fellow of the American Geophysical Union

2002 -

Career position - Earth Physics Coordinator at the Research School of Earth Sciences

2002 -

Career position - Director of the Australian National Seismic Imaging Resource Major National Research Facility

2004

Award - Humboldt Research Award received

2005 -

Award - Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)

2005 -

Career position - Distinguished Professor of Earth Physics at the Research School of Earth Sciences

2005

Award - Jaeger Medal received from the Australian Academy of Sciences

2006

Award - Murchison Medal received from the Geological Society of London

Related entries

Published resources

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Kennett, B L N', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1268920. Details