Gregory Lyzenga

Gregory Lyzenga is professor emeritus of Physics at Harvey Mudd College, where he spent his career teaching and conducting research in geophysics and planetary science. Lyzenga earned his undergraduate degree from Harvey Mudd College—the same institution where he would build his academic career—before completing his Ph.D. in applied physics at the California Institute of Technology, where his fellowship began in 1975. His research focused on the shock physics of minerals and rocks, examining how geological materials respond to the extreme pressures generated by meteorite impacts and underground explosions—work with applications in planetary science and seismology.