Iain Stewart (geologist)
| Iain Simpson Stewart | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1964 (age 52–53) East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Residence | Plymouth |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Fields | Geology |
| Institutions | University of Plymouth |
| Alma mater | University of Strathclyde, Bristol University |
| Thesis | The evolution of neotectonic normal fault scarps in the Aegean Region (1990) |
| Doctoral advisor | Paul Hancock John Thornes |
| Known for |
|
|
Website www |
|
Iain Simpson Stewart, MBE FGS (born 1964) is a Scottish geologist, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He is Professor of Geoscience Communication at the University of Plymouth and also a member of the Scientific Board of UNESCO's International Geoscience Programme.
Described as geology's "rock star", Stewart is best known to the public as the presenter of a number of science programmes for the BBC, notably the BAFTA nominatedEarth: The Power of the Planet (2007).
Stewart was born in 1964 in East Kilbride, in Lanarkshire, to Sheena and Jack. He has two younger brothers, Graeme and Frazer. He attended Mount Cameron Primary and then Claremont High School from 1976 to 1982. In an interview with the Herald, Stewart revealed that he initially struggled with geology: "I was a middling student, never really at the top of the class, nor at the bottom. Which I think is good, in a way. When you're out there at the top, it can be quite isolating."
Stewart was a child actor and holder of an Equity card. His first appearance on television came in 1978, in a BBC Scotland adaptation of John Buchan's 1922 novel Huntingtower. Amongst his contemporaries at the East Kilbride Rep Theatre was the actor John Hannah. Leaving acting behind, he studied geography and geology at Strathclyde University, graduating in 1986 with a first class honours Bachelor of Science degree. He obtained his doctorate, entitled "The evolution of neotectonic normal fault scarps in the Aegean Region" in 1990 at the University of Bristol on research into earthquakes in Greece and Turkey. In 1990 he began teaching geology at the West London Institute of Higher Education (WLIHE) in Osterley (occupying the Warden's flat with his wife for several years), and from 1995 at Brunel University due to its merger with WLIHE. After 12 years in London he moved back to Scotland to develop a new career as a science broadcaster. Nostalgic for Brunel, he said "And invariably, you move on to places that for all their benefits, seem surprisingly narrow, and more fallow, in comparison. In short, it was a remarkable place to be". He moved to the University of Plymouth in 2004, later becoming Professor of Geoscience Communication, a position he believes to be unique in the world.
...
Wikipedia