2014 Award Winner
Files
College / Institute
Oceanographic Center
Professor Bio
Sam Purkis, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Award Year
2014
Recommended Citation
Nova Southeastern University, "2014 Award Winner" (2014). Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award Past Winners. 3.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/provost_research_award/3
Comments
Sam Purkis, Ph.D., M.B.A., Wins Provost's Research and Scholarship Award
Provost Ralph Rogers, Ph.D., recently presented Sam Purkis, Ph.D., Oceanographic Center, with the 4th Annual Provost's Research and Scholarship Award. The announcement was made at the External Funding Recognition Reception.
Purkis is an internationally recognized Earth Scientist with an enviable publication record. In the fields of both geology and conservation biology, Sam has pioneered the use of satellite and aircraft remote sensing to make quantitative observations of coral reef environments. He has generated a new field of study that uses "morphometrics" (statistical instruments to mathematically capture the size and geometry of objects) to understand the landscape complexities of coral reef environments. Through the concept of comparative sedimentology, observations of present-day environments are used to aid in the interpretation of ancient sedimentary sequences. He has elevated this morphometric approach into a new and novel means of understanding the complexity of oil reservoirs and water aquifers.
Despite being only ten years since receiving his Ph.D., Sam Purkis has produced 69 peer-reviewed journal articles, and authored 3 books. His achievements in the field of remote sensing are buoyed by his successful external funding record, which has brought considerably more than three million dollars to NSU in recent years. While being an active researcher within NSU, Dr. Purkis has extensive teaching experience, student mentorship experience, is an active member of NSU's faculty community and involved with many ongoing initiatives.
Photo Caption: Richard Dodge, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, Oceanographic Center and Executive Director, National Coral Reef Institute; George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., president and CEO; Sam Purkis, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Oceanographic Center; Ralph V. Rogers, Jr., Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Gary Margules, Sc.D., vice president for research and technology transfer.