Lowrie William

William Lowrie is a distinguished academic and former Professor of Geophysics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), where he served from 1974 to 2004. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics (University of Edinburgh, 1960), an M.A. in Geophysics (University of Toronto, 1962), and a Ph.D. in Geophysics (University of Pittsburgh, 1967). His research focuses on geophysics, rock magnetism, paleomagnetism, and magnetic stratigraphy. Lowrie has held significant administrative roles, including Chairman of the Institute of Geophysics (ETH Zurich, alternate years 1977–1994; 2002–2004) and Chairman of the Department of Earth Sciences (1997–1999). He led the European Union of Geosciences as its Vice-President (1985–1987) and President (1987–1989).

His professional career includes roles as a Geophysicist at Sherritt Gordon Mines (1961), High School Teacher (1962–1964), and Research Associate at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory (1970–1974). He contributed editorially to journals such as Geophysical Research Letters and Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics. Lowrie organized major scientific symposia, including the 4th Biennial Meeting of the European Union of Geosciences (1987).

With over 125 peer-reviewed publications, he holds notable awards: Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (1990), Alan Cox Memorial Lecturer (1995), and membership in Academia Europaea (2000). His work bridges theoretical and applied geophysics, influencing global geoscience research and education.