Historical Note
John A. Wood is a world leader in meteoritics and planetary science. Wood served as Geologist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), 1957-1963; Research Associate, Harvard University, 1957-1963; Research Associate, Enrico Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies, University of Chicago, 1962-1965; Research Associate, Harvard College Observatory, 1965-2004; Geologist, SAO, 1965-2004; Lecturer in Geology, Harvard University, 1973-1976; Professor of the Practice of Geology, Harvard University, 1976-1994; and Associate Director, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 1981-1986.
Wood's primary research has been the petrological study of chondritic meteorites as a source of information about the origin of the solar system. Wood worked extensively in lunar sample studies (during the Apollo program), and constructed global models of lunar formation and internal evolution. Wood was a member of the RADIG team that interpreted the radar data collected by the Magellan mission to Venus. Wood has served on NASA advisory committees concerned with allocation of lunar samples to laboratory investigators, mission planning, and peer review of grant proposals, and has chaired the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), under the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council.
