Mark Richards

Mark Richards is a Professor and Department Chair at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on Earth's interior dynamics, plate tectonics, volcanism, and geological-biological interconnections. A national leader in promoting diversity in STEM, he has significantly impacted doctoral programs and faculty representation in the mathematical and physical sciences.

• Education: PhD in Geophysics (Caltech), MS in Applied Physics (Caltech), BS in Engineering Science (University of Texas, Austin)

Richards' research spans Earth's gravity field evolution, hotspot volcanism (e.g., Hawaii, Galapagos), flood basalt eruptions (Deccan Traps, Columbia River Basalts), and their potential links to mass extinctions. He also investigates glacial isostatic rebound phenomena.

Scientific Honors:

• Elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (1998)
• Elected Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences (2013)
• Presidential Young Investigator (NSF, 1990-1995)
• Lux Award for Diversity in Higher Education (2011)
• Leon Henkin Citation (UC Berkeley, 2013)
• Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence (2014)

As a department chair, Richards combines leadership with research while maintaining active contributions to academic governance and diversity initiatives. No recent publications or advisees information was found in the provided materials.