Dr. Gavin Schmidt – Currently the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Dr. Schmidt is a climatologist, climate modeler, and leading voice on climate change. He has been instrumental in the development of the GISS series of models and frequently communicates complex climate science to the public.
Prof. Judith Curry – Emeritus Professor at the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. Curry’s research includes hurricanes, remote sensing, atmospheric modeling, polar climates, and air-sea interactions. She’s also recognized for her balanced and clear insights on the challenges of modeling.
Dr. Michael E. Mann – Known for the famous “hockey stick graph”, Dr. Mann’s work on observational and theoretical climate science has earned him numerous accolades. He’s a distinguished professor at Penn State University and frequently engages in public discourse on climate change.
Dr. James Hansen – Often dubbed the “father of climate change awareness,” Dr. Hansen was one of the first to warn the public about the dangers of CO2 emissions. A former head of NASA GISS, Hansen is also an advocate for climate modeling accuracy and climate policy.
Dr. Cecilia Bitz – A professor at the University of Washington, Dr. Bitz specializes in polar climate modeling and is known for her significant contributions to sea ice dynamics within climate models.
Prof. Myles Allen – A leading figure at the University of Oxford, Allen has focused on the predictions of global warming given external constraints. He’s been pivotal in discussions on how modeling intersects with policy, particularly in the context of achieving net-zero emissions.
Dr. Benjamin D. Santer – Working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Dr. Santer has contributed significantly to the direct fingerprinting of human influence on the global climate, enhancing the capabilities and accuracy of climate models.
Dr. Syukuro Manabe – Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2021, Dr. Manabe’s foundational work has greatly influenced global climate models. He’s particularly noted for his early work on coupling oceanic and atmospheric models.
Dr. Claudia Tebaldi – As a statistician and climate scientist, Dr. Tebaldi has been instrumental in understanding climate extremes in modeling. Her work has provided insights into future projections of heatwaves, droughts, and heavy precipitation events.
Prof. Venkatramani Balaji – Associated with Princeton University and NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Balaji’s work on climate model infrastructure, particularly in terms of software engineering, has been vital for the community.
