Prof. Christopher Graham Rapley (known as Chris Rapley) CBE (born 1947) is a British scientist. He was Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme IGBP from 1994 to 1998, and Director of the British Antarctic Survey from 1998 to 2007. He was appointed Director of the Science Museum in 2007. In 2008 he was awarded the Edinburgh Science Medal – “For professional achievements judged to have made a significant contribution to the understanding and well-being of humanity”
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Born in 1947, Rapley was educated at King Edward's School, Bath, Jesus College, Oxford (obtaining a BA in Physics in 1969) at Manchester University (obtaining a MSc in Radio Astronomy in 1976) and University College, London (obtaining a PhD in X-ray Astronomy in 1976).[1][2][3]
Between 1975 and 1981, Rapley was a scientist on NASA's Solar Maximum Mission, and was then a lecturer at the Department of Space and Climate Physics of University College London from 1981 to 1987.[3] He was professor of Remote Sensing Science at University College London from 1991 to 1997 and was Director of the British Antarctic Survey from 1998 to 2007.[1][2] During his time in the Antarctic, he helped Al Gore with the "Live Earth" concert by arranging for the Rothera Research Station's in-house band, Nunatak, to perform in Antarctica as part of the event.[3]
Rapley became a Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge in 1999 and was awarded the CBE. In 2007, he was appointed as Director of the Science Museum.[1]
Rapley agreed to sit for Jon Edgar in Fittleworth during 2009 as part of the sculptor's environmental series[4] of heads.
| Cultural offices | ||
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| Preceded by Jon Tucker |
Director of the Science Museum 2007 – present |
Succeeded by incumbent |