PERSONAL HISTORY
B.A. 1964, Rice University; M.S. 1965, Stanford University; Ph.D. 1970, Applied Physics, Stanford University; Member of Technical Staff and Group, Rockwell International Science Center, 1970-80; Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University, 1980-present; Director, Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, 1997-present.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Nondestructive evaluation, ultrasonics, electromagnetics, material property measurements, flaw characterization.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
A.J. Anderson, R.B. Thompson, and W. Cook
“Ultrasonic measurements of the Kearns texture factors in zircaloy, zirconium, and titanium,” Metall. Trans. A , Vol. 30A (8), 1981 (1999).

R.B. Thompson and F.J. Margetan
“Use of elastodynamic theories in the stochastic description of the effects of microstructure on ultrasonic flaw and noise signals,” Wave Motion, Vol. 36, 347 (2002).

R.B. Thompson
“Nondestructive evaluation and life assessment,” ASM Handbook, Vol. 11, Failure Analysis and Prevention, edited by W.T. Becker and R.J. Shipley (ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2002), 269.

N. Nakagawa, F. Inanc, R.B. Thompson, W.R. Junker, F.H. Ruddy, J.M. Beatty, and N.G. Arlia
“On-line NDE for advanced reactor designs,” Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, Vol. 22B, edited by D.O. Thompson and D.E. Chimenti (American Institute of Physics , Melville , NY , 2003), 1728.

P. Haldipur, D. Barnard, R.B. Thompson, and P. Panetta
“Internal friction in a diffuse field used as a measure to characterize material properties,” Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, Vol. 24B, edited by D.O. Thompson and D.E. Chimenti (American Institute of Physics , Melville , NY , 2005), 1231.

HONORS, AWARDS AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Lester Honor Lecture, American Society for Nondestructive Testing, 2004
• Member, National Academy of Engineering, 2003
• D.R. Boylan Eminent Faculty Award for Research, 2001
• Editor, Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, 1986-present