James Gridley Selected as IRIS PASSCAL Program Manager

IRIS is pleased to welcome Dr. James Gridley as our new PASSCAL Program Manager. James is an applied geophysicist with a substantial background in geophysical instrumentation, measurements, analysis, and fieldwork. He was selected from a group of highly qualified candidates and succeeds Jim Fowler who is stepping down after 25 years of service. James begins his position on August 19, 2010. He will initially be based in the IRIS DC offices, but has committed to transfer with his family to New Mexico within the next two years.

James joins IRIS from BBN Technologies, a well-known consulting firm with offices in the Washington, DC area. While at BBN Technologies, as well as his previous position with the US Navy, he conducted classified research programs pertaining to seismic and other geophysical instrumentation for measurements and analyses of "exotic sources." Prior to that, he worked in the oil and gas industry for 11 years where he was responsible for several innovations in exploration research and development. He is familiar with IRIS programs and looks forward to moving into a more open environment and interacting with the academic research community.

In his career to date, James's primary focus has been on geophysical problems requiring a transformational vision of geophysical applications, with nontraditional aspects such as unique sources, new and innovative sensing systems, and challenging environmental conditions. His success has come from sound application of forward-looking science and innovative technology, and he brings these talents to IRIS with a strong commitment to advancing future seismological research.

James has a B.S. from Northern Illinois, a M.S. from New Mexico Tech., and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at El Paso. He also has a law degree from University of Tulsa, related to his tenure as a private consultant in the oil and gas industry. James maintains relationships with the oil and gas industry, as well as with the Department of Defense and Department of Energy communities.