Professor Craig Kletzing was one of three distinguished University of Iowa faculty members who gave presentations at the 39th Presidential Lecture on Feb. 27.
The lecture event, titled “The University of Iowa at 175: Proud Legacy, Promising Future,” was held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, at Hancher Auditorium and concluded a multi-day celebration of the UI’s 175th anniversary.
In his presentation, "Space Science at the University of Iowa," Kletzing talked about space physics at Iowa, starting with a history of space physics in the department and how it got started. He then discussed past and current space physics projects and concluded with what the department has planned for the future, recognizing some young faculty who will carry this work forward in the future. Greg Howes, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy introduced Kletzig.
See Kletzing's presentation starting at 7:10 on YouTube:
Speakers at the Presidential Lecture also included Patricia Winokur, executive dean, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research, and professor of internal medicine in the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and Christopher Merrill, director of the International Writing Program. UI President Barbara Wilson led a discussion with the speakers following their presentations.
Kletzing holds the Donald A. and Marie B. Gurnett Chair in physics and astronomy. He joined the UI faculty in 1996 and his research interests lie in experimental space plasma physics, particularly measuring electric and magnetic wave fields in Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. He is the principal investigator for the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) and a $115 million contract award from NASA, announced in June 2019, that is the largest single award in UI history.
He has been principal and co-investigator on several sounding rockets and is also the principal investigator of a laboratory plasma experiment collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles, to uncover more about how the auroras transfer energy. Kletzing has served on the National Research Council’s Committee on Space and Solar Physics; NASA’s Sounding Rocket Working Group; the Geospace Electrodynamic Connections Science and Technology Definition Team; and NASA’s 2005 Sun-Solar System Connection Roadmap Committee. He has authored or co-authored more than 290 peer-reviewed publications.