D. Van Holliday
Encyclopedia
Dr. Dale Vance Holliday (May 29, 1940 – February 4, 2010) was born in Ennis, Texas
and attended the University of Texas at Austin
. He graduated with a B.S.
and M.A.
in Physics
and did extensive theoretical and experiment
al research on the Mössbauer effect
. He died in San Diego on February 4, 2010 after a period of illness.
Holliday became one of the first 100 employees of Tracor
in 1962 and quickly became Director of Analysis and Applied Research in the Electronic Systems Division. In 1965 Holliday left Austin to develop the Tracor facility in San Diego
and began his doctorate
in applied physics
at the University of California, San Diego
.
In San Diego
Holliday began his study in acoustics
for which he is known. His study of transient flow in natural gas
pipelines
led to the publication of a textbook
which is still used as a standard reference.
In the 1970s Holliday began testing a revolutionary technique for the detection and size measurement of zooplankton in thin layers involving multi-frequency backscattering. The technique developed and after twenty years became the established framework for research in the field.
In the early 1980s Holliday built the first prototype of the Tracor Acoustical Profiling System (TAPS) which has been described as decades ahead of its time by the Acoustical Society of America. TAPS is now the standard instrument for acoustical profiling of plankton
in the sea.
Holliday published hundreds of papers on underwater acoustics
and acoustical oceanography
and given dozens of talks and symposia in several countries. In 2004 Holliday became only the third recipient of the Acoustical Society of America
Silver Medal
in Acoustical Oceanography, for "contributions to the study of marine life, from plankton to whales".
Holliday was awarded the Prix d'Excellence by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
(ICES) in recognition of extraordinary contributions, fulfilling the ICES vision of scientific discovery, leadership, and applications that have had major influence on policy for sustained use and conservation of marine ecosystems. The Award was presented at the ICES Annual Science Conference on Monday September 22, 2008.
The research vessel R/V Dale Van Holliday is operated by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the NOAA Fisheries Service.
Holliday died on February 4, 2010 at the age of 69 from complications of heart surgery, which was in turn caused by complications from the scoliosis
which he had battled his entire life.
The Acoustical Society of America organized a session in his memory during its 162nd Meeting, on October 31, 2011.
Sounds in the Sea: From Ocean Acoustics to Acoustical Oceanography, Chapter 12
A shallow scattering layer...
Ennis, Texas
Ennis is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. The population was 16,045 at the 2000 census.In 1871, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad purchased of land in Ellis County at a price of , establishing the line's northern terminus. On May 8, 1872,...
and attended the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He graduated with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and M.A.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and did extensive theoretical and experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
al research on the Mössbauer effect
Mössbauer effect
The Mössbauer effect, or recoilless nuclear resonance fluorescence, is a physical phenomenon discovered by Rudolf Mössbauer in 1958. It involves the resonant and recoil-free emission and absorption of γ radiation by atomic nuclei bound in a solid...
. He died in San Diego on February 4, 2010 after a period of illness.
Holliday became one of the first 100 employees of Tracor
Tracor
Tracor was a major North American defense electronics contractor which was acquired by Marconi Electronic Systems , a subsidiary of General Electric Company plc, in 1998. Following the purchase of MES by British Aerospace in November 1999 to form BAE Systems, Tracor became BAE Systems Integrated...
in 1962 and quickly became Director of Analysis and Applied Research in the Electronic Systems Division. In 1965 Holliday left Austin to develop the Tracor facility in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and began his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in applied physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
at the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
.
In San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Holliday began his study in acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
for which he is known. His study of transient flow in natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
pipelines
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
led to the publication of a textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
which is still used as a standard reference.
In the 1970s Holliday began testing a revolutionary technique for the detection and size measurement of zooplankton in thin layers involving multi-frequency backscattering. The technique developed and after twenty years became the established framework for research in the field.
In the early 1980s Holliday built the first prototype of the Tracor Acoustical Profiling System (TAPS) which has been described as decades ahead of its time by the Acoustical Society of America. TAPS is now the standard instrument for acoustical profiling of plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
in the sea.
Holliday published hundreds of papers on underwater acoustics
Underwater acoustics
Underwater acoustics is the study of the propagation of sound in water and the interaction of the mechanical waves that constitute sound with the water and its boundaries. The water may be in the ocean, a lake or a tank. Typical frequencies associated with underwater acoustics are between 10 Hz and...
and acoustical oceanography
Acoustical oceanography
Acoustical oceanography is the use of underwater sound to study the sea, its boundaries and its contents.-History:The earliest and most widespread use of sound and sonar technology to study the properties of the sea is the use of an echo sounder to measure water depth...
and given dozens of talks and symposia in several countries. In 2004 Holliday became only the third recipient of the Acoustical Society of America
Acoustical Society of America
The Acoustical Society of America is an international scientific society dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications.-History:...
Silver Medal
ASA Silver Medal
The ASA Silver Medal is an award presented by the Acoustical Society of America to individuals, without age limitation, for contributions to the advancement of science, engineering, or human welfare through the application of acoustic principles or through research accomplishments in acoustics...
in Acoustical Oceanography, for "contributions to the study of marine life, from plankton to whales".
Holliday was awarded the Prix d'Excellence by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is the world’s oldest intergovernmental science organization. ICES is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, where its multinational Secretariat staff of 51 provide scientific, administrative and secretarial support to the ICES community...
(ICES) in recognition of extraordinary contributions, fulfilling the ICES vision of scientific discovery, leadership, and applications that have had major influence on policy for sustained use and conservation of marine ecosystems. The Award was presented at the ICES Annual Science Conference on Monday September 22, 2008.
The research vessel R/V Dale Van Holliday is operated by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the NOAA Fisheries Service.
Holliday died on February 4, 2010 at the age of 69 from complications of heart surgery, which was in turn caused by complications from the scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
which he had battled his entire life.
The Acoustical Society of America organized a session in his memory during its 162nd Meeting, on October 31, 2011.
Honors and Positions
- Prix d'Excellence - International Council for the Exploration of the SeaInternational Council for the Exploration of the SeaThe International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is the world’s oldest intergovernmental science organization. ICES is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, where its multinational Secretariat staff of 51 provide scientific, administrative and secretarial support to the ICES community...
(2008) - Silver MedalASA Silver MedalThe ASA Silver Medal is an award presented by the Acoustical Society of America to individuals, without age limitation, for contributions to the advancement of science, engineering, or human welfare through the application of acoustic principles or through research accomplishments in acoustics...
in acoustical oceanographyAcoustical oceanographyAcoustical oceanography is the use of underwater sound to study the sea, its boundaries and its contents.-History:The earliest and most widespread use of sound and sonar technology to study the properties of the sea is the use of an echo sounder to measure water depth...
- Acoustical Society of AmericaAcoustical Society of AmericaThe Acoustical Society of America is an international scientific society dedicated to increasing and diffusing the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications.-History:...
(2004) - Meritorious Public Service Award - Department of the Navy, Chief of Naval Research (2002)
- Founding Editorial Board - Limnology and Oceanography: MethodsAmerican Society of Limnology and OceanographyInitiated in 1947, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography is a scientific society with the goal of Advancing the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. With approximately 4000 members in nearly 60 different countries, ASLO is the largest scientific society, worldwide, devoted to...
(2002) - Steinbach Visiting Scholar - Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionThe Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent oceanographic research...
(1987) - Member of the US Delegation to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (1987)
- R/V D. V. Holliday - NOAA
Sources
See also
Thin Layers Home PageSounds in the Sea: From Ocean Acoustics to Acoustical Oceanography, Chapter 12
A shallow scattering layer...