Michael R. Foster is an Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was a Professor at The Ohio State University in the Department of Aerospace Engineering from 1970 until 2006. Professor Foster's specialty is theoretical fluid dynamics, generally using asymptotic methods in conjunction with some computation. He focused for many years on geophysical fluid dynamics, enjoying rich collaborations with numerous distinguished professors at Arizona State University and the University of Dundee, and more recently Manchester. Since that time, his research has been in three areas: directional solidification problems, particularly in Bridgman devices; mathematical models… of dendritic crystal growth; and boundary layers in dilute suspensions, especially the singularities that arise in standard models.