John Frederick Dewey facts for kids
John Frederick Dewey (born 22 May 1937) is a British scientist who studies the Earth's structure. He is a structural geologist. He strongly believes in the idea of plate tectonics, which explains how the Earth's large plates move. He built on early work from the 1960s and 1970s. Many people see him as a top expert on how mountain ranges form and change.
A Life Studying Earth's Mountains
John Dewey went to Bancroft's School when he was younger. He then studied geology at the University of London. He attended Queen Mary and Imperial College to earn his first degree and his PhD in geology.
After his studies, John Dewey taught at several universities. He was a lecturer at the University of Manchester from 1960 to 1964. Then he taught at the University of Cambridge from 1964 to 1970. He also spent time teaching at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1971.
Later, Dewey became a Professor of Geology at the State University of New York at Albany. During this time, he wrote important papers about the history of the Appalachians in Newfoundland. He also studied the Scottish and Irish Caledonides mountain ranges. In more recent years, his research has focused on understanding how the Himalayan mountain range developed.
In 1982, Dewey came back to the UK. He became a Professor of Geology at Durham University for four years. In 1986, he was appointed Professor of Geology at the University of Oxford. He also became a Fellow of University College there. He held this position until 2000. After that, he returned to the US. He is now a Professor of Geology at the University of California at Davis. However, he still works as a Senior Research Fellow at University College, Oxford.
Awards and Recognition
John Dewey has received many important awards for his work. He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1985. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
He also received the Wollaston Medal in 1999. This is the highest award given by the Geological Society of London. In 1992, he won the Penrose Medal from the Geological Society of America. In 1997, he was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences. He is also a member of the Royal Irish Academy and a corresponding member of the Australian Academy of Science.
