Background
Whitcomb, James Hall was born on December 10, 1940 in Sterling, Colorado, United States. Son of Clay Thane and Julia Melvina Whitcomb.
Foundation administrator geophysicist
Whitcomb, James Hall was born on December 10, 1940 in Sterling, Colorado, United States. Son of Clay Thane and Julia Melvina Whitcomb.
Geophysics engineering degree, Colorado School of Mines, 1962. Master of Science in Oceanography, Geophysics, Oregon State University, 1964. Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics, California Institute of Technology, 1973.
Graduate research assistant department oceanography Oregon State University, Corvallis, 1962-1964. Geophysicist Center Astrogeology United States Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1964-1966. Fulbright-Hayes program research fellow Seismological Institute University Uppsala, Sweden, 1966-1967.
Graduate research assistant seismological laboratory California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 1967-1973, senior research fellow seismological laboratory, 1973-1979. Associate professor attendant rank department geological science University Colorado, Boulder, 1979-1982, fellow Cooperative Institute Research in Environmental Sciences, 1979-1984. Vice president technical applications and marketing ISTAC, Inc., Pasadena, 1984-1988.
Program director seismology National Science Foundation, Washington, 1989-1999, acting deputy division director, 1999—2002, section head, 2002—2007, acting division director, since 2008. Expert witness United States House Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, 1977. Member geodynamics review board Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1980-1982, committee on geodesy National Academy of Sciences, 1982-1985.
President Boulder Systems, Inc., Pasadena, 1987-1988.
Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, Seismological Society of America, Society Exploration Geophysicists (scholar 1963), Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi.
Married Sandra Lynn McMurdo, July 13, 1965 (divorced 1978). Married Teresa R. Idoni, February 3, 1989. Children: Lisa Michelle, Marisa Giulia, Sabina Maria.