Education
Tucker graduated with a First Class Honours degree in geology from the () in 1968. This was followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in sedimentology from the University of Reading in 1971.
Tucker graduated with a First Class Honours degree in geology from the () in 1968. This was followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in sedimentology from the University of Reading in 1971.
From 1993 to 2011 he held the position of Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Durham, and from 1998 to 2011 was Master of Following lecturerships at the University of Sierra Leone and Cardiff University, he moved to Newcastle University in 1975. In 1982 he was appointed lecturer in geology at Durham University and became Reader in 1988. He was made a professor in 1993.
Tucker"s research interests focus on the properties of sedimentary rocks, particularly limestones, their formation and usefulness as an oil reservoir.
He has written or edited more than eight books, including the standard undergraduate text Sedimentary Petrology, and Carbonate Sedimentology. He has also acted as the external examiner for the Earth Sciences degree at Oxford University.
In addition, he has served as Staff Treasurer for the Assassins" Guild of the University of Durham since the end of the 1990s. Maurice Tucker was Master of from 1998 to 2011, and in the last formal dinner of the Easter Term 2010 his portrait by Andrew Ratcliffe was unveiled, to be hung in the Great Hall.
The portrait features a fossil that he found at the age of 7 in the family back garden at Newbury Park, which began his fascination with geology.
He was awarded college colours for representing Castle at table tennis. He is well acquainted with the traditions of the students within the college, and is highly respected by Castlemen, with many of his youthful escapades spoken of as myth within college. In the Epiphany term of 2009 he took part in the Lumley Run, never having completed it as a student, completing it in 1 hour 22 minutes.
He was known as being a staunch supporter of the JCR and Middle Common Room, and maintained a strong involvement with them.
On the occasion of his retirement in the summer of 2011, the Middle Common Room renamed their common room (previously the William Street Calais room) the Maurice East Tucker room in his honour.
As an undergraduate student he himself was a member of the college between 1965-1968.