Robert Tatham

Robert Tatham (1943-2019) was a Professor and held the Shell Centennial Chair in Geophysics at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin. His career spanned over 45 years in geophysical methods applied to petroleum problems. He founded the Exploration and Development Geophysics Education and Research (EDGER) Forum, which supported graduate students and industry research collaborations. Before academia, he worked in the oil industry, including roles at Texaco and Petty-Ray Geosource.

Education:

• B.S. in Physics, California State University–Northridge (1967)
• M.S. in Applied Geophysics, University of Houston (1970)
• Ph.D. in Geological Sciences, Columbia University (1975)

Research Interests: Focused on seismic data analysis for hydrocarbon exploration, reservoir characterization, and optimization of shale resource identification. His work emphasized extracting rock, reservoir, and fluid properties from seismic data.

Legacy: The EDGER Forum became a cornerstone for industry-academic partnerships. His research expanded into resource shale characterization, addressing modern energy challenges. Tatham passed away in 2019, leaving a legacy in geophysical education and petroleum exploration.