Martin A. Uman

Martin A. Uman is an American engineer. He has been acknowledged by the American Geophysical Union as one of the world's leading authorities on lightning.

Uman is probably best known for his work in lightning modeling, which is the application of electromagnetic field theory to the description of various lightning processes. The provides a better understanding of lightning in general and has had a number of important practical spinoffs, the most notable has been a lightning locating system and the redefinition of several important lightning characteristics relative to hazard protection. Uman founded Lightning Location and Protection, Inc., a company in the lightning locating equipment business.

Uman has written three books on the subject of lightning, all of which are now in revised second edition paperbacks. He also is the author of a book on plasma physics and the co-author (with V. A. Rakov) of a book on lightning. Uman has written twelve book chapters and encyclopedia articles on lightning, and he has published over 170 papers in reviewed journals and over 200 in other articles and reports. He holds five patents, four in the area of lightning detection and location.

Early life and education

Uman graduated in 1953 as valedictorian from Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University in 1957 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. He received his M.A. in 1959 and his Ph.D. in 1961 from Princeton...
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