Simon Peacock

Simon M. Peacock has served as Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia since 2006; he is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. As Dean, Dr. Peacock focuses on advancing disciplinary and interdisciplinary education and research initiatives across the physical, life, and mathematical sciences.  Over the past decade, UBC’s Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative has significantly improved student learning for more than 15,000 students enrolled in large undergraduate science courses through the adoption of the most effective, evidence-based science education practices. Dr. Peacock and his colleagues recently developed First Year Seminars in Science, a small class experience focused on critical scientific thinking and communication skills, which was awarded the 2013 Alan Blizzard Award by Canada’s Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.  Dr. Peacock served as President of the Canadian Council of Deans of Science in 2010-11 and he is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.   Prior to joining UBC in 2006, Dr. Peacock was a Professor of Geology at Arizona State University and served as Divisional Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences.  Dr. Peacock earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geology from MIT (1981) and a Ph.D. in Geology from UCLA (1985). He has taught courses that collectively span most of the geological sciences at the introductory, undergraduate, and advanced graduate levels.  His research focuses on understanding the tectonic structure of subduction zones, earthquakes, and volcanism.  He has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Science, Nature, and the Journal of Geological Education.