Fond Farewell: Geological and Environmental Sciences Professor Emeritus Bill Murphy

Professor Emeritus William “Bill” Murphy, who taught geological and environmental sciences for 12 years, passed away August 21. He was 69.

Born April 7, 1952, at Fort Stuart, Georgia, he earned a bachelor’s degree in earth science from University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1974, a master’s degree in geology from University of Oregon in 1977, and a PhD in geology from UC Berkeley in 1985. He spent the next two years working in the Basalt Waste Isolation Project at Hanford, Washington, and then worked from 1988 to 2000 at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analysis, Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2000, he was hired at Chico State as a professor of geological and environmental sciences. During his time at the University, he participated extensively in department and college committees, including hiring, general education science curriculum, ecology and environmental sciences curriculum, and the professional master’s program in environmental sciences. He also served as graduate coordinator for environmental sciences.

“Bill was really one most passionate learners and scholars that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said retired professor and department chair Dave Brown, who often collaborated with Murphy on their teaching and research in mine reclamation and water quality. “He was absolutely brilliant in his field of study and widely respected by some of the best minds in aqueous geochemistry.”

Not only was Murphy excited to learn, but he delighted in sharing that learning with his students and colleagues. Professor Ann Bykerk-Kauffman describes Murphy’s enthusiasm for science as “infectious,” noting that “his eyes would light up and he would become very animated whenever he talked about scientific ideas.”

Murphy’s expertise in geochemistry and geologic disposal of nuclear waste was nationally renowned. Among the many prestigious roles he held throughout his career, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the US Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board from 2006–11. He also served as an administrative judge on the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, on the steering committee for the Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management, and was the US representative in the Natural Analogues Working Group. He was also a consultant to the US Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analysis.

“He had what I can only describe as wisdom,” Brown said. “If I could have made him king so he could decide what to do with nuclear waste, I would have trusted him because he was very thoughtful but also very cognizant of people, their fears, and uncertainties.”

While at Chico State, Murphy carried out numerous research projects that resulted in peer-reviewed publications and project reports while supervising graduate and undergraduate students. He was a peer reviewer for a number of scientific journals and a keynote speaker at numerous professional conferences and science outreach gatherings. He was a Visiting Professor at Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, in summer 2002 and in January 2005.

Murphy was a dynamic character, said Professor Russell Shapiro, noting that he was drawn to him from when they first met due to his great enthusiasm for geochemistry and brilliant approach to problem-solving.

“He had such a beaming smile and the more complicated the science question, the more animated he became,” he said. “His knowledge of nuclear energy, in particular, was enormous, and he contributed a lot to our various courses with his background. He really pushed his students in the geochemistry course, and I know his graduate students were very fond of him.”

Science education professor Kelli Albertson (MS, Geosciences, ’14) met Murphy as she was interviewing for graduate school in 2007 and attributes his research and work in geochemistry for why she opted for her master’s at Chico State.

“I took numerous classes from him and worked with him directly as my thesis advisor. He was a very patient advisor and challenged me to be a better scientist. I think any of his former grad students would say the same thing about him,” she said. “I would not be the scientist, educator, or person I am today without his influence on my life during my years in grad school at Chico State.”

His professional and community affiliations were prolific, including the Geochemical Society, American Geophysical Union, Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management, California Park Lake Study Committee, and the Geological Society of America.

Murphy retired in 2012. An avid reader throughout his life, he grew up reading every Vladimir Nabokov book he could find and eventually expanded his nonfiction interests to study topics ranging from history to evolution to the science of meditation and enlightenment. He loved nature, and his many hobbies including bicycling, skiing, backpacking, hiking, and windsurfing. He summitted Mount Shasta at least a dozen times.

He is survived by his wife, Rui Chen; son Jasper Murphy; brother Jay Murphy; sister Barbara Harker; nieces Lauren Murphy and Alex Harker; and nephew Brian Harker. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made in Murphy’s name to National Public Radio, PBS, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or Doctors Without Borders.

A celebration of life is planned for September 18, at 10 a.m., at Stonegate Country Club in Davis. Please RSVP to billmurphymemorial@gmail.com by September 10. It will also be held virtually via Zoom.

The University flag will be lowered Wednesday, September 8, in his memory.