NOAA establishes new panel to guide sustained National Climate Assessment

NOAA announced the appointment of 15 members to the new Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment. The committee will advise NOAA on sustained climate assessment activities and products, including engagement of stakeholders. NOAA will ensure the committee’s advice is provided to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for use by the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), a confederation of the research arms of 13 federal departments and agencies, which carry out research and develop and maintain capabilities to support the Nation’s understanding and response to global change. OSTP requested NOAA lead the federal advisory committee.

USGCRP is implementing a sustained National Climate Assessment process to help the Nation prepare for the effects of climate and global environmental change. The sustained process facilitates ongoing and transparent interactions among scientists and stakeholders across regions and sectors. This process enables information and insights to be shared as they emerge and supports the quadrennial National Climate Assessment required by the Global Change Research Act of 1990.

The advisory committee’s members represent diverse viewpoints, interests of geographic regions of the country, and sectors of U.S. society. Members include experts in physical and social sciences, communication, education, and other topics reflecting the full scope of issues relevant to the sustained National Climate Assessment process. Members are appointed by Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA administrator, in consultation with the OSTP Director, Dr. John Holdren.

The members are:

Dr. Susan Avery, President Emerita, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Ms. Maxine Burkett, Professor of Law, University of Hawai’i William S. Richardson School of Law
Ms. Ann Marie Chischilly, Executive Director, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Northern Arizona University
Ms. Jan Dell, Vice President, Strategic Development, AECOM
Dr. Riley Dunlap, Regents Professor of Sociology and Dresser Professor, Oklahoma State University
Mr. Paul Fleming, Climate Resiliency Group Manager, Seattle Public Utilities
Dr. Lucas Joppa, Lead Environmental Scientist, Microsoft Research
Dr. Kim Knowlton, Senior Scientist, Science Center Deputy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Assistant Clinical Professor, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Dr. Maria Carmen Lemos, Professor of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
Dr. Jerry Melillo, Distinguished Scientist and Director Emeritus, The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory
Dr. Richard Moss, Senior Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Joint Global Change Research Institute at the University of Maryland
Ms. Kristen Poppleton, Director of Education, Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy
Dr. Michael Prather, Professor of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine
Dr. Jessica Whitehead, Coastal Communities Hazards Adaptation Specialist, North Carolina Sea Grant
Mr. Daniel Zarrilli, Senior Director, Climate Policy and Programs, and Chief Resilience Officer, New York City Office of the Mayor
Dr. Richard Moss will serve as chair of the committee, and Jan Dell will serve as vice chair. More details will be posted in an upcoming Federal Register Notice and the Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment’s website.