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Thorsten BeckerProfessor of Earth SciencesContact Information E-mail: twb@usc.edu Phone: (213) 740-8365 Office: ZHS 269 LINKS Curriculum Vitae Faculty Profile on Departmental Website Personal Website |
Education
- Ph.D. Geophysics, Harvard University, 2002
- M.S. Physics, J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, 1997
Postdoctoral Training
- Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Post-doctoral scholar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 2002-2004
Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History
Tenure Track Appointments
- Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, 2012-
- Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, 2009-2012
- Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, 2004-2009
Visiting and Temporary Appointments
- Visiting professor, Universita di Roma TRE, 2012
- Visiting Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, Fall 2010
- Visiting fellow, Princeton University, Spring 2008
Description of Research
Summary Statement of Research Interests
As a geophysicist, my main research interests are in geodynamics and seismology with focus on the interactions between mantle convection, surface geology, and Earth evolution. My group integrates a broad range of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data into quantitative models of plate tectonics, from grain-scale deformation to plate-scale flow. Recent research projects include work on seismic anisotropy, mantle heat transport and the mechanics of plate tectonics, subduction dynamics, and fault system mechanics.
Honors and Awards
- NIH/NSF Career Development Award, NSF Geophysics, 2007-
- Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, 2007-2009
- Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for Tectonics, 2007-2008
- C. F. Gauss lecturer, German Geophysical Society, European Geosciences Meeting, 2007-2008
- Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Scholarship, 2002-2004
- Certificate of Excellence in Teaching, Derek Bok Center, Harvard University, 2001
- Haereus prize for Physics students in the state of Hesse, 1997-1998
- Siedler Award, Best M.Sc. Thesis in Physics, Frankfurt University, 1997
Service to the Profession
Editorships and Editorial Boards
- Senior editor, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 2009-
- Editor, Geophysical Journal International, 2004-2009
- Zumberge Hall of Science (ZHS)
- Los Angeles, CA 90089-0740
- Phone: (213) 740-6106
- Email: earthsci@usc.edu