EDUCATION

Duquesne University, B.S., 1962

University of Pittsburgh, Ph.D., 1966

CAREER

1962-1968 Teaching/Research Assistant, University of Pittsburgh

1966-1968 E.O. Hulburt Research Associate, NRL

1968-1975 Research Physicist, NRL

1975-1983 Head, Planetary Atmospheres Section, NRL

1983-2001 Head, Upper Atmospheric Physics Branch, NRL

2002-2004, Senior Scientist for Atmospheric Physics, NRL

2004-present, Research Professor of Space Science, School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences, George Mason University

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

American Geophysical Union (Fellow)

American Physical Society (Fellow)

Sigma Xi

International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy

International Astronomical Union

International Academy of Astronautics

AWARDS

E.O. Hulburt Annual Science and Engineering Award for 1991 (NRL's highest civilian award)

NRL Alan Berman Publication Award, seven times

USAF Special Recognition Award as PI on STP 83-1, first DoD Get-Away-Special on Shuttle mission STS-7

Journal of Geophysical Research Editor's Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, 1993

Fellow of the American Physical Society, 1997

NRL 75^th Anniversary Innovation Award, 1998

Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, 1999

Academician, International Academy of Astronautics 1999

NRL Technology Transfer Award, 2000

Aeronomy Secretary, American Geophysical Union, 2000-2002

NRL Distinguished Contribution Award, 2000

Nicolet Lecture, Fall AGU Meeting, 2007

NASA Group Achievement Award, TIME/GUVI, 2008

NASA Group Achievement Award, TIMED/SEE, 2011

SELECTED RESEARCH INTERESTS

· Upper atmospheric and ionospheric physics, chemistry, and dynamics with special emphasis on development of techniques for remote sensing of composition and temperature.

· Studies of auroras from ground and space to understand nature of precipitating particles and their relationship to geomagnetic storms.

· Investigation of the basic properties of comets and their interaction with the solar wind and radiation fields.

· The interstellar medium and its interaction with the solar system, with special focus on the flow of hydrogen and helium into the interplanetary regime.

· Studies of the plasmasphere and its special relationship with the ionosphere and magnetosphere, especially from a global perspective through extreme ultraviolet imaging.

· Radiative transport theory, with emphasis on development of numerical techniques for interpretation of spectra and images of very optically thick planetary atmospheres.

· Solar irradiance variability and its effect on planetary atmospheres.

· Photolysis of trace constituents in the middle atmosphere.

· Planetary atmospheres, with special interest in Venus, Mars and the moons of the outer planets

· Space-based experimentation with rocket and satellite payloads.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Meier, R. R., Ultraviolet Spectroscopy and Remote Sensing of the Upper Atmosphere, Space Science Reviews, 58, 1, 1991.

Ajello, Joseph, Rao Mangina, and R. R. Meier, UV Molecular Spectroscopy from Electron Impact for Applications to Planetary Astronomy and Astrophysics, in Charged Particle and Photon Interactions with Matter, Recent Advances, Applications, and Interfaces, eds., Y. Hatano, Y. Katsumura, and A. Mozumder, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton (2010).

Richards, P. G., M. J. Nicolls, C. J. Heinselman, J. J. Sojka, J. M. Holt, and R. R. Meier (2009), Measured and modeled ionospheric densities, temperatures, and winds during the international polar year, J. Geophys. Res., 114, A12317,doi:10.1029/2009JA014625.

Richards, P. G., R. R. Meier, and P. J. Wilkinson (2010), On the consistency of satellite measurements of thermospheric composition and solar EUV irradiance with Australian ionosonde electron density data, J. Geophys. Res., 115, A10309, doi:10.1029/2010JA015368.

Stevens, M. H., et al. (2011), The production of Titan’s ultraviolet nitrogen airglow, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A05304,doi:10.1029/2010JA016284.

Meier, R. R., J. M. C. Plane, M. H. Stevens, L. J. Paxton, A. B. Christensen, and G. Crowley (2010), Can molecular diffusion explain Space Shuttle plume spreading?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L08101, doi:10.1029/2010GL042868.

Lean, J. L., T. N. Woods, F. G. Eparvier, R. R. Meier, D. J. Strickland, J. T. Correira, and J. S. Evans (2011), Solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance: Present, past, and future, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A01102, doi:10.1029/2010JA015901.

Niciejewski, R., W. Skinner, M. Cooper, A. Marshall, R. R. Meier, M. H. Stevens, D. Ortland, and Q. Wu (2011), Verification of large‐scale rapid transport in the lower thermosphere: Tracking the exhaust plume of STS‐107 from launch to the Antarctic, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A05302, doi:10.1029/2010JA016277.

Kil, H., Y.‐S. Kwak, L. J. Paxton, R. R. Meier, and Y. Zhang (2011), O and N2 disturbances in the F region during the 20 November 2003 storm seen from TIMED/GUVI, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A02314, doi:10.1029/2010JA016227.

Lean, J. L., J. T. Emmert, J. M. Picone, R. R., Meier, Global and regional trends in ionospheric total electron content, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A00H04, doi:10.1029/2010JA016378.

Lean, J. L., R. R. Meier, J. M. Picone, and J. T. Emmert (2011), Ionospheric total electron content: Global and hemispheric climatology, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A10318, doi:10.1029/2011JA016567.

Meier, R. R., M. H. Stevens, J. M. C. Plane, J. T. Emmert, G. Crowley, I. Azeem, L. J. Paxton, and A. B. Christensen (2011), A study of space shuttle plumes in the lower thermosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A12322, doi:10.1029/2011JA016987