Dr. Bob Schutz, an aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics professor for The University of Texas at Austin, has recently been elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union. Fellows represent less than one percent of all AGU members and are selected by a committee of peers.
Schutz is currently the Science Team Leader for the NASA ICESat (Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite) scheduled to launch in mid-2001 carrying the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System. This instrument will determine changes in polar ice sheet mass, the height of clouds and atmospheric aerosol properties, and will map land topography to unprecedented accuracy. The mission addresses whether ice sheets are growing or shrinking, to help assess how the ice sheets and sea level will respond to future climate change. To support the objectives of ICESat, the orbital position of the satellite must be known with an accuracy of a few centimeters. Schutz’s research in interdisciplinary issues of geodesy and geophysics as related to the orbital dynamics of a satellite will be essential in obtaining this accuracy.
Schutz has served on the UT Austin College of Engineering faculty since 1969 and holds the Joe J. King Chair in Engineering and FSX Professorship in Space Applications & Exploration.
The AGU provides information for the public on what is known about our planet, its neighbors, and the space around them and how the geophysical sciences are advancing. The Union consists of over 35,000 scientists from 115 countries.
Email this article to a friend
About the Cockrell School of Engineering:
The Cockrell School ranks among the top ten engineering programs in the United States and aspires to move into the top five. With the nation's fourth highest number of faculty members elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Cockrell School's more than 7,000 students work with many of the world's finest engineering educators and researchers. This environment prepares graduates to become engineering leaders and innovators working for the betterment of society.