Dr. Patrick Alken is a research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). He contributes to the development of the World Magnetic Model (WMM), International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF), and High Definition Geomagnetic Model (HDGM). His research interests span all aspects of Earth’s magnetic field, from core dynamics and lithosphere structure to ionospheric and magnetospheric current systems. He received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2009, and has authored or co authored over 40 peer reviewed journal articles. He co-founded Flatirons Geomagnetic Services in 2017 to provide consulting services to industrial partners in need of geomagnetic expertise.