Derek W. G. Sears

Derek grew up in the U.K. in the era of the space race. His keen interest in all things space led him to a diploma in space science and a doctorate in meteorite research. Eventually he moved to the U.S. to pursue what was becoming a lifelong passion. He held a faculty position at the University of Arkansas teaching chemistry and cosmochemistry conducting research on meteorites and planetary research. Among the projects he has been involved with are the initial screening of Antarctic meteorites, microgravity studies on NASA’s vomit comet, which provided an opportunities for undergraduate students, and advocating asteroid sample return missions. In 1992 he assumed the editorship of the Meteoritical Society's research journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science. In 2000 he led in the creation of the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Science at the University of Arkansas which now has a vibrant research and teaching program, including the W. M. Keck Laboratory for Space Simulation.

Derek moved to California in 2011, continuing his research interests at NASA’s Ames Research Center. His sixth book, “Gerard P. Kuiper and the Rise of Modern Planetary Science” will appear in January 2019.