Internationally Renowned Climate Change Researcher Speaks at SDSU on Oct. 18

Contact:
Lorena Nava
San Diego State University
(619) 594-3952 office
lnava@mail.sdsu.edu

Gerald R. North

SAN DIEGO (Monday, October 8, 2007) — San Diego State University will host internationally renowned climate change researcher Gerald R. North, distinguished professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, on Thursday, Oct. 18. North will speak on the results of recent studies on both past climate change and future climates we might expect for the Earth and the contiguous United States.

"Dr. North has made several original contributions to climate science. He is a pioneer in climate change detection methods and simple climate modeling. He is not only an outstanding scientist, but also an excellent speaker, so his lecture should be of interest to anyone concerned with climate change," said Sam Shen, chair of the SDSU department of mathematics and statistics, which organized North’s visit.

North’s lecture will be from 4 to 5 p.m. in GMCS-333. The event is free and open to the public. The lecture will describe several ways of assessing climate changes and their updated development, including various kinds of observations ranging from satellite remote sensing to routine weather observation, interdisciplinary studies of climate systems and global climate modeling. Additionally, local climate and environmental issues will be explored, including water supplies and environmental changes in Southern California.

North is holder of the Harold J. Haynes Endowed Chair in Geosciences at Texas A&M University, editor-in- chief of the Reviews of Geophysics, and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. He was a former NASA senior scientist and proposer of the U.S.-Japan satellite project known as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.

Additionally, North chaired the 2006 U.S. National Research Councils Committee on Surface Temperature Reconstructions for the last 2,000 Years and testified in the US Congress on global warming. He has also been recognized as one of the most highly cited geoscientists by the Web of Science, a database of 8,700 high-impact research journals. A common theme in his research is the application of mathematical and statistical approaches to the better understanding of mechanisms of climate change from both observational and theoretical aspects.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 81 areas, master's degrees in 73 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU's approximately 35,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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