Srinivas Bettadpur wins Whitten Medal for Earth dynamics research

Srinivas Bettadpur, an Indian American professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, has won the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Charles A. Whitten Medal for Earth dynamics research.

The award, given in even-numbered years to a senior scientist, recognizes Bettadpur’s outstanding achievement in research on the form and dynamics of Earth and planets, according to a university press release.

Bettadpur joins a distinguished group of scientists, leaders and communicators recognized for advancing science. Each honoree reflects AGU’s vision for a thriving, sustainable and equitable future supported by scientific discovery, innovation and action.

The AGU will recognize Bettadpur with the Whitten Medal, and induction into the AGU College of Fellows, at its annual Honors Ceremony and Banquet on Dec 11 in Washington, DC

Bettadpur is an expert in orbital mechanics and space geodesy. His research focuses on the modeling and analysis of Earth’s dynamics through space-based metrology and remote sensing, and the connections between global space-geodetic measurements and their regional applications.

His core research interests include the design and architecture of space missions and observing systems for this purpose; the analysis of space geodetic data; and the interpretation of the results.

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Recently, Bettadpur began leading the new multi-university Quantum Pathways Institute, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, that will develop technology for high-precision quantum sensing, to improve measurement of important climate variables by observing atoms in outer space.

In the same realm he leads the science contributions to the definition of a potential NASA quantum sensing technology pathfinding mission. He contributes to spaceborne measurement of Earth gravity field as the principal investigator for UT’s efforts on the US/German GRACE-Continuity mission, currently in implementation for a late 2028 launch.

Bettadpur currently serves as President of Commission-2 (Gravity Field) of the International Association of Geodesy for 2023-2027 term, whose international electorate includes representatives from adherent nations to the IUGG/ICSU. He served as the director of UT Austin’s Center for Space Research from 2018-2023.

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Recent awards and honors for Bettadpur include the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal (2018), the European Geosciences Union Vening-Meinesz Medal (2016) and the William T. Pecora Team Award presented to the GRACE team by the U.S. Department of Interior and NASA (2007).

Bettadpur is a Fellow of the FSX Professorship in Space Applications and Exploration at UT Austin, an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and a Fellow of the IAG.