Richard (Rick) Sibson graduated BSc Hons (1st Class) in Geology from the University of Auckland in 1968. He then gained an MSc from Imperial College, London, followed by a PhD on the Outer Hebrides Thrust zone in NW Scotland. He taught at Imperial College (1973-1982) and at UC Santa Barbara (1982-1990), before returning to NZ in 1990 as Professor of Geology in the University of Otago, retiring in 2009. His research focuses on the structure of crustal fault zones and the mechanics of shallow crustal earthquakes with subsidiary interests in crustal fluid flow and structural controls affecting the development of fault-hosted mineralisation. He is author or co-author of over 100 research papers and has delivered short courses to the mineral industry and academia across the globe. Honours include election to fellowship of the Royal Society of New Zealand (1993), the American Geophysical Union (1999), and the Royal Society of London (2003). In 2010 he was awarded the Wollaston Medal by the Geological Society of London.