Ghassem Asrar's Career Honored with Cleveland Abbe Award
In recognition of an exceptional career devoted to earth science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist Dr. Ghassem Asrar received the 2018 Cleveland Abbe Award for Distinguished Service to Atmospheric Sciences by an Individual. Asrar accepted the award January 10 at the 2018 American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas.
Since 2013, Asrar has been the director of the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a collaboration between PNNL and the University of Maryland, College Park. With scientific experience across a broad array of U.S. and international governmental organizations and businesses, Asrar has enhanced the institute's leadership in understanding earth system changes through the lens of science, economics, technologies, and policy decisions.
“Throughout his career, Dr. Asrar has provided outstanding leadership across a wide range of climate and Earth science projects, programs, and activities,” said Dr. Ian Kraucunas, director of PNNL’s Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division. “He is not only committed to scientific excellence, but to building up the people and capabilities needed to achieve it.”
The AMS Awards Oversight Committee considers nominations for the Cleveland Abbe Award (presented annually since 1963) and makes recommendations for final approval by the AMS Council. Asrar, an AMS Fellow since 2001, received the Cleveland Abbe Award for his “exceptional leadership of major activities at NASA and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) that advanced climate science and its relevance to society.”