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Srinivas Bettadpur, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, has been honored with the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Charles A. Whitten Medal.
The award, given in even-numbered years to a senior scientist, recognizes Bettadpur’s outstanding achievement in research on the form and dynamics of Earth and planets. Bettadpur joins a distinguished group of scientists, leaders and communicators recognized by AGU for advancing science.
Bettadpur is a Fellow of the FSX Professorship in Space Applications and Exploration at UT Austin, an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and a Fellow of the IAG. Bettadpur currently serves as President of Commission-2 (Gravity Field) of the International Association of Geodesy for 2023-2027 term. He served as the director of UT Austin’s Center for Space Research from 2018-2023.
Bettadpur is an expert in orbital mechanics and space geodesy. His research focuses on the modeling and analysis of Earth’s dynamics through space-based metrology and remote sensing, and the connections between global space-geodetic measurements and their regional applications. His core research interests include the design and architecture of space missions and observing systems for this purpose; the analysis of space geodetic data; and the interpretation of the results.
Recently, Bettadpur began leading the new multi-university Quantum Pathways Institute, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which will develop technology for high-precision quantum sensing, to improve measurement of important climate variables by observing atoms in outer space.
Recent awards and honors for Bettadpur include the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal (2018), the European Geosciences Union Vening-Meinesz Medal (2016) and the William T. Pecora Team Award presented to the GRACE team by the U.S. Department of Interior and NASA (2007).
The AGU will recognize Bettadpur with the Whitten Medal, and induction into the AGU College of Fellows, at its annual Honors Ceremony and Banquet on Dec. 11 in Washington, D.C.
