David Strangway

David Strangway
Strangway at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Science and Technology conference in 2011
1st President of Quest University Canada
Preceded by	NA
Succeeded by	Dr. David J. Helfand
11th President of the University of Toronto
In office 1983–1984
Preceded by	James Milton Ham
Succeeded by	George Connell
Personal details
Born	David William Strangway (1934-06-07)June 7, 1934 Simcoe, Ontario
Died	December 13, 2016(2016-12-13) (aged 82)
Alma mater	University of Toronto

David William Strangway, OC FRSC (June 7, 1934 – December 13, 2016) was a Canadian geophysicist and university administrator. Strangway was the founder, first President and first Chancellor of Quest University Canada, a private non-profit liberal arts and sciences university in Squamish, British Columbia which opened in September 2007. He was President Emeritus of the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia.

Strangway was born in 1934 in Simcoe, Ontario. He studied at the University of Toronto, earning a B.A. in Physics and Geology in 1956, an M.A. in physics and a Ph.D in physics in 1960. Strangway began his teaching career as an Assistant Professor of Geology at the University of Colorado between 1961-64. In 1965, he joined M.I.T for three years as both an Assistant Professor of Geophysics and Researcher. In 1970, he joined NASA as the Chief of the Geophysics Branch and was responsible for the geophysical aspects of the Apollo missions. In 1972, he was awarded the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his scientific contribution to NASA. As Chief of NASA's Geophysics Branch, David Strangway designed lunar experiments for Apollo astronauts and also was involved in the examination of returned moon rocks that contributed to the further knowledge of the solar system. Strangway is the author or co-author of more than 165 research papers, including results of lunar sample studies and experiments. Strangway's research focused extensively on magnetic studies and electromagnetic sounding, both terrestrially for exploration and mapping and in lunar mapping and exploration. Since 1971 he has served on a great number of scientific and academic committees on behalf of governmental or private sector organizations. In 1973 he served as the director of the Lunar Science Institute (later renamed the Lunar and Planetary Institute in 1977).