Michael R. Perfit

Michael Roger Perfit (born 1949) is an American geologist who is currently an emeritus distinguished professor at the University of Florida.

Perfit graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1971, and earned a master's degree and Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1974 and 1977, respectively. After working for five years as a research fellow at the Australian National University, he joined the University of Florida faculty in 1982. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, elected in 2008 for "his distinguished contributions in marine geology and igneous petrology."

He has published over 150 professional papers and articles as well as two books – one is a children's book written and illustrated with Perfit's college roommate, Don Brown, - entitled “Older Than Dirt: A Wild but True History of Earth”. The other is an academic book that focuses mainly on the exploration of the deep ocean floor, mid-ocean ridges, deep sea volcanism and hydrothermalism, and the structure and composition of oceanic crust. In 2016, this book received a PROSE Award from the Association of American Publishers.