Tom Lippmann is a nearshore oceanographer with affiliation with the Department of Earth Sciences and the Ocean Engineering program.
He received a BA in Mathematics and Biology from Linfield College (1985), and an MS (1989) and PhD (1992) in Oceanography at Oregon State University. His dissertation research conducted within the Geological Oceanography Department was on shallow water physical oceanography and large scale coastal behavior. He went on to do a Post Doc at the Naval Postgraduate School (1992-1995) in Physical Oceanography.
He worked as a Research Oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (1995-1999) in the Center for Coastal Studies, and retains a research associate with the Integrated Oceanography Division at SIO. He was then a Research Scientist at Ohio State University (1999-2008) jointly in the Byrd Polar Research Center and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science.
Dr. Lippmann's research is focused on shallow water oceanography, hydrography, and bathymetric evolution in coastal waters spanning inner continental shelf, surf zone, and inlet environments. Research questions are collaboratively addressed with a combination of experimental, theoretical, and numerical approaches. He has participated in 14 nearshore field experiments and spent over 18 months in the field.