Robert William Stewart

Robert William Stewart

Robert William Stewart, scientist (born at Smoky Lake, Alta 21 Aug 1923; died at Victoria, BC, 19 January 2005). Robert Stewart was known internationally for original work in turbulence, oceanography and meteorology, and was a recognized authority on exchange processes between ocean and atmosphere. He held visiting professorships at universities in North America, the United Kingdom and at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Moscow (then part of the USSR). Stewart was one of the first to recognize the importance of studying the oceans and atmosphere as a combined system.

During his career, Bob Stewart had been a scientist with the Defence Research Board 1950-61; professor of physics and oceanography at University of British Columbia 1960-70; director general, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC, 1970-79; British Columbia's deputy minister of universities, science and communications 1979-84; and president of Alberta Research Council 1984-87. Stewart then became founding director of the Centre for Earth and Ocean Research, affiliated with the University of Victoria, and retired from there in 1989. He received the Patterson Medal of the Canadian Meteorological Society, the Sverdrup Medal of the American Meteorological Society and the Tully Medal from the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society. Stewart's contributions were recognized with his being named to the Order of Canada at the rank of Officer in 1979.