Nafi Toksöz received his PhD in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. He has been on the faculty of the Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Department at MIT since 1965. He founded the Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL) in 1982 and served as its Director until 1998. Professor Toksöz has had a most distinguished career and made major scientific contributions in many areas of geophysics including: seismic exploration, plate tectonics, planetary interiors, earthquake seismology, and imaging. He is the author or co-author of more than 300 technical papers in geophysics, including many articles on geophysics and seismology. He has edited many books and served on numerous editorial boards of scientific journals. Professor Toksöz continues to serve on scientific advisory and review committees for U.S. government agencies, universities, international organizations, and industry. His academic activities include teaching, leading several research projects, and advising a number of graduate students. He has mentored over 100 postdoctoral students. Dr. Toksöz has been recognized for his contribution to science on many occasions during his career. Notable awards include the Harry Fielding Reid Medal of the Seismological Society of America that he received in 2007. He was also the recipient of the Maurice Ewing Medal in 2010, the highest honor awarded by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.