Steve Sparks is Emeritus Professor of Geology in the School of Earth Sciences at Bristol University. His research concerns volcanic and igneous processes and he has made contributions in petrology, physical volcanology, fundamental fluid mechanics, sedimentology, and in hazard and risk assessment methods. He has been involved in providing scientific advice and risk assessments for active volcanoes, including the 1995-2010 eruption of the Soufruere Hills Volcano Montserrat. He was one of several international Scientists who formed the Global Vocano Model (GVM) in 2011 as an international platform for volcanology information an. He was one of the leaders of the Global Volcanic Hazards and Risk assessment publihsed in 2015 under the auspices of UNISDR. He was past President of IAVCEI (1999-2003)