Tuesday, October 25, 2016


Iain Stewart appointed as IAPG expert on 
"Risk communication"


Iain Stewart is professor of Geoscience Communication at Plymouth University and Director of its Sustainable Earth Institute. His long-standing research interests are in interdisciplinary investigations of geological hazards (earthquakes, volcanism, tsunamis) and abrupt environmental change, and more recently in the communication of "contested geoscience" to the public.

After a studying Geography and Geology at Strathclyde University (1986), and completing a PhD in earthquake geology at Bristol University (1990), he taught Earth Science at Brunel University until 2002. He then left to develop public geoscience projects, and in the last decade or so has presented major television series for the BBC on the nature, history and state of the planet. Among these are 'Earth: The Power of the Planet', 'Earth: The Climate Wars', 'How Earth Made Us', 'How To Grow A Planet', 'Volcano Live', and 'Rise of the Continents'. He regularly fronts BBC Horizon specials on geoscientific topics (Japanese earthquake, the Russian meteor strike, Shale gas/Fracking, Florida sinkholes). His latest BBC series - a 3-parter on the history of oil: 'Planet Oil'.

In recent years has received awards for geoscience communication from the Royal Geographical Society (2010), the Geologists Association (2009), the Geological Society of London (2010), the American Geophysical Union (2013), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (2105). He was the inaugural recipient of The University of New South Wales's Scientia Medal for science communication. Iain is currently President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the Earth Science Teachers Association, and Patron of the Scottish Geodiversity Forum and of the English Riviera GeoPark. In the 2013 Birthday Honours List he was recognised for his work on public engagement in geoscience with an MBE.

List of IAPG Experts: http://www.geoethics.org/ccs