Awards

Ascent Award

Established in 2012, the Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award aims to reward exceptional mid-career (academic, government, and private sector) scientists in the fields of the atmospheric and climate sciences. “Mid-career” is defined here as between 8 and 20 years post-Ph.D or the scientist’s highest degree. The only criterion for the award is that the applicant demonstrates excellence in research and leadership in his or her field. Nominations for women and underrepresented minorities are encouraged. It is anticipated that up to 4 awards will be made each year. The Award consists of a certificate, $1000, and dinner at the Section Banquet during the Fall Meeting, where the award will be presented. AGU Fellows are not eligible for this award.

Nominations are accepted annually by the deadline: March 27 2024. Members of the AGU are encouraged to nominate deserving individuals. When considering nominations for next year, the nomination package should consist of four items:

• A nomination letter, (not to exceed two pages in length)
• The candidate’s curriculum vitae, (not to exceed two pages in length)
• The candidate’s list of publications (not to exceed two pages in length)
• Up to three letters of recommendation (not to exceed two pages in length each)

The nomination and supporting letters should clearly state how the nominated individual’s accomplishments are outstanding for one at his/her stage of career. Nominations must be submitted online via the AGU website before April 12. 

Ascent Award Winners

2022

• Delphine Farmer, Colorado State University
• Sarah Kang, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
• Dylan Millet, University of Minnesota
• Jun Wang, University of Iowa
• Ming Zhao, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

2021

• Benjamin John Murray, University of Leeds
• Kerri Pratt, University of Michigan
• Nicole Riemer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Isla Simpson, National Center for Atmospheric Research

2020

• Yafang Cheng, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
• Tracey Holloway, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Pavlos Kollias, Stony Brook University
• Tristan S. L’Ecuyer, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Randall Martin, Washington University in Saint Louis

2018

• Yi Ming, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
• Matthew Huber, Purdue University
• Joel Thornton, University of Washington
• David Romps, University of California - Berkeley 

2017

• Robert Wood, University of Washington
• Gabriel Vecchi, Princeton University
• Larry Horowitz, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
• Annmarie Carlton, University of California – Irvine

2016

• Alex Hall, University of California – Los Angeles
• Christian Jakob, Monash University
• Eric Maloney, Colorado State University
• Adam Scaife, Exeter University
• Susan C. Van den Heever, Colorado State University

2015

• Jiwen Fan, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Andrew Gettelman, National Center for Atmospheric Research
• Allen Robinson, Carnegie Mellon University
• Allison Steiner, University of Michigan

2014

• Kenneth Carslaw, University of Leeds
• Meredith Hastings, Brown University
• Rodney Weber, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Adam Sobel, Columbia University

2013

• Cecilia Bitz, University of Washington
  For advancing our ability to model climate in numerous ways, especially relating to sea ice.
• Paul Ginoux, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
  For sustained pioneering work on aerosols.
• Mark Jacobson, Stanford University
  For his dominating role in the development of models to identify the role of black carbon in climate change.
• Sergey Nizkorodov, University of California – Irvine
  For elucidating at the molecular level the formation, growth and reactions of organic molecules in the atmosphere.
• Ping Yang, Texas A&M University
  For fundamental research in radiative transfer and remote sensing.

2012

• Andrew Dessler, Texas A&M University
  For creative and incisive studies of the influences of water and clouds in the climate system.
• Jose-Luis Jimenez, University of Colorado
  For shifting the paradigm underlying primary emission, secondary production, and chemical evolution of carbonaceous aerosols.
• Stephen A. Klein, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  For advancing our ability to model climate in numerous ways, especially relating to sea ice.
• Athanasios Nenes, Georgia Institute of Technology
  For fundamental advances in research on aerosol impacts on cloud formation, air quality, and climate though a combination of theory, instrumentation development, measurements, and modeling.

2019

• Rainer Volkamer, University of Colorado
• Armin Sorooshian, University of Arizona
• Jennifer Murphy, University of Toronto
• Francina Dominguez, University of Illinois
• David Noone, Oregon State University

Questions?

Please contact the Award Committee Chair, Allison Steiner.