Sean Douglas Willett

Sean Douglas Willett is a Full Professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland (since 2006), specializing in Earth surface processes and tectonic geomorphology. Previously, he held positions as Assistant/Associate Professor at the University of Washington (1998-2006), Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University (1994-1998), and completed postdoctoral research at Dalhousie University. He was also a Visiting Professor at the University of Bologna (2004-2005).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geophysics, University of Utah (1988)
• B.S. in Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah (1982, cum laude)

Research Focus: Integrates numerical modeling with field observations to study landscape evolution, mountain-building processes, fluvial/glacial erosion dynamics, low-temperature thermochronology, and orogenic wedge mechanics. His work bridges tectonics, climate science, and surface processes.

Publications: His recent articles (2012-2015) demonstrate advanced computational methods for landscape modeling and focus on Alpine/European tectonic evolution, river basin reorganization, and exhumation mechanisms. Earlier foundational work established mechanical models for mountain belts.

Awards/Honors:

• Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (1995-2014)
• Elected Member, Academia Europaea (2015)

Professional Service: Extensive editorial contributions including Associate Editor for American Journal of Science and Terra Nova, organizer of TOPO-Europe conferences, and committee roles for European Science Foundation programs. His scholarly impact includes 5,700+ citations and h-index of 36 (2015).