DR. JAMES L. BURCH ’60

VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE SPACE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DIVISION

Dr. James L. Burch received the 2019 Rice University Distinguished Alumnus Award for contributions to U.S. space science and the 2021 Bowie Medal from the American Geophysical Union in recognition of outstanding contributions to fundamental Earth and space science and for unselfish cooperation in research.

Dr. Burch’s Leadership has been instrumental to the growth of SwRI. President and CEO Adam L. Hamilton, P.E. “In addition, Jim’s research has had and continues to have a profound impact on our understanding of the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere, which can affect daily life on the planet.

Burch is a renowned experimental space physicist who founded the first space-science group at SwRI in 1977. That division, which now includes 460 staff members, is recognized as one of the preeminent space research organizations in the world. He has served on many panels and committees for NASA, the European Space Agency, and the National Academy of Sciences.