He received his B.S. in physics from University of Nebraska in 1951, and both his M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1956. After graduation he worked as a nuclear researcher at Caltech, then continued his research at Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., at Aerospace Corporation, and at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris. Around 1963 his interest shifted to high energy particles in the aurora. In 1966 he joined the physics department of the University of California, Berkeley, where he became full professor in 1970. He has held appointments as Vice Chairman of the Physics Department and Associate Director of the Space Sciences Laboratory. His recent research continues 40 years of rocket and satellite measurements.
