Ross Taylor (geochemist)

Stuart Ross Taylor AC (26 November 1925 – 23 May 2021) was a New Zealand geochemist and planetary scientist known for his studies of the geology of the Moon through lunar samples, the continental crust, tektites and the evolution of the Solar System. He was an emeritus professor and Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra.^[3][4] He died in Canberra on 23 May 2021 at the age of 95.^[5][6]

Ross Taylor AC
Born	Stuart Ross Taylor (1925-11-26)26 November 1925[1] Ashburton, New Zealand
Died	23 May 2021(2021-05-23) (aged 95) Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Nationality	New Zealand
Alma mater	Canterbury University College (BSc,1948; MSc, 1951)[2] Indiana University (PhD, 1954)
Known for	NASA Principal Investigator 1970–1990, lunar geochemistry
Awards	V. M. Goldschmidt Award (1993) G. K. Gilbert Award (1994) Walter H. Bucher Medal (2002) Companion of the Order of Australia (2008) Shoemaker Distinguished Lunar Scientist Award (2012)
Scientific career
Fields	cosmochemistry, planetary science, geochemistry
Institutions	Australian National University
Thesis	Geochemistry of some New Zealand igneous and metamorphic rocks (1953)
Doctoral advisor	Brian Mason
Doctoral students	Roberta Rudnick

Honours and awards

• 5670 Rosstaylor, a main-belt asteroid discovered in 1985.^[7]
• Shoemaker Distinguished Lunar Scientist Award, 2012^[8]

Further reading

• "Professor Ross Taylor, Geochemist". Interviews with Australian scientists. Australian Academy of Science. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
• Taylor, Stuart Ross (Ross) – Biographical entry in Encyclopedia of Australian Science