James Roberts

Dr. James Roberts serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland. He is affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (JHU APL) through his email domain. His research focuses on modeling planetary geodynamics to understand the evolution of terrestrial planets and icy satellites.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences (University of Colorado)
• M.S. in Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences (University of Colorado)
• B.S. in Physics and Geological Sciences (Virginia Tech)

Research Interests: Investigates planetary interior heat sources (tidal dissipation, radiogenic decay, impacts), solid-state convection, surface feature formation, and planetary reorientation. Specializes in linking thermal and orbital evolution of planetary bodies like Mars and Enceladus.

Awards:

• AGU Excellence in Refereeing (2011)
• APL Book Award (2010)
• Teaching Recognition (2004-2005)

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with JHU APL's Civil Space Flight division, contributing to planetary science missions and formulation activities.