Dr. Menas C. Kafatos is The Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics at Chapman University. He received his B.A. in Physics from Cornell University in 1967 and his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972. After postdoctoral work at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, he joined George Mason University and was University Professor of Interdisciplinary Sciences from 1984-2008, where he also served as Dean of the School of Computational Sciences and Director of the Center for Earth Observing and Space Research. He and a team of computational scientists joined Chapman University in fall, 2008.
Dr. Kafatos is the Founding Dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, serving as dean in 2009 – 2012. He directs the Center of Excellence in Earth Systems Modeling and Observations.
Dr. Kafatos has nearly 40 years of experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching and research. He has published numerous books including The Conscious Universe, The Non-local Universe (with Robert Nadeau, Springer-Verlag and Oxford), Principles of Integrative Science (with Mihai Draganescu, Romanian Academy of Sciences Press), and nearly 300 articles in computational science, astrophysics, Earth systems science, hazards and global climate change, regional impacts of climate change, environmental issues, general relativity, cosmology, foundations of quantum theory, and consciousness.
Dr. Kafatos is recipient of the Rustum Roy Award from the Chopra Foundation, February 2011, which “honors individuals whose devotion and commitment to their passion for finding answers in their field is matched only by their commitment to humanity”; an honorary member of the Romanian Academy of Sciences; Member, Board of Trustees, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), 2006-2008; Member, OCTANe Board, 2010 - present; Member, American Hellenic Council, 2011 – present; IEEE Orange County Chapter - Outstanding Leadership and Professional Service Award, October, 2011, etc.
Dr. Kafatos has been interviewed numerous times by: U.S. national TV networks (ABC, KCBS, Voice of America), Korean and Greek TV networks (KBS1 in Korea; ERT, SKAI-Eco, in Greece; PIT in Cyprus; TV and radio stations in Crete, cretalive, TV CRETA, Krete TV), national and regional newspapers and radios in Korea, (Hankook), Greece (Kathimerini, Eleutherotypia, Ethnos, Patris), and the United States (National Herald, OC Register, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal, Korea Times).