From 1983 to 2003, he was a professor at the University of Arizona and continues to author works in peer-reviewed journals and science magazines. He is also co-author of the college textbookModern Global Seismology. From 2011 to 2017, Wallace was the Laboratory's principal associate director for Global Security and the senior intelligence executive, overseeing national security programs including nuclear nonproliferation, counterproliferation, and industry partnerships. From 2006 to 2011, he was the Laboratory's principal associate director for Science, Technology, and Engineering, during which he implemented the capability model for scientists and engineers and developed the science pillars that guide the Laboratory's institutional investment strategies. Wallace is an internationally recognized scientific authority in geophysics and forensic seismology, which is the study of earthquakes and seismic waves as they relate to nuclear weapons testing, and has evaluated more than 1,700 U.S. and foreign nuclear tests.
Awards and recognition
In 1992, he was named a fellow in the American Geophysical Union and served on the Board of Earth Sciences & Resources in the National Academy of Sciences from 2001 to 2008. He also served as vice president and president of the Seismological Society of America. He served on the board of directors for the Mineralogical Record from 1990 to 1999, including as president from 1995 to 1997. He was also chairman of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology and is a current member of the Air Force Technical Applications Center‘s Seismic Review Panel. His awards include the , the , the Macelwane Medal, and the . In 2011, a mineral Terrywallaceite was named after him in recognition of his efforts in education, research, and service to mineralogy.
Personal life
He is a wilderness runner and hiker. Wallace is a mineral collector, a hobby fostered by his father from an early age. He has visited mining communities and mineral localities across both North and South America, and has written extensively on various aspects of mineralogy for amateurs. He is the author of a popular mineral book Collecting Arizona, which chronicles the mineral history of the Copper State. He is married to geophysicist Michelle Hall and has one son and two grandchildren.