Warren Washington

Biography

Abstract

Warren M. Washington has spent the majority of his career at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, but also served as the Presidential Appointment to National Science Board and the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere, and as President of the American Meteorological Society in 1994. He has been a participant in many professional organizations and associations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received many awards and honors for his contributions to climatology and atmospheric research.

Important Dates

August 28, 2936Birth, Portland (Or.).

1958B.S. in Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis (Or.).

1959Mathematician, Stanford Research Institute.

1960M.S in Meteorology, Oregon State University, Corvallis (Or.).

1960 – 1963Research Associate, Pennsylvania State University, University Park (Pa.).

1963 – presentSenior Scientist (1963-present); Program Scientist, Dynamical Aspects of Atmospheric Circulation (1972-1973); Project Leader, Large-Scale Modeling and Analysis Group (1973-1974); Head, Climate Section and Leader, Global Climate Modeling Group (1974-1987); Director, Climate & Global Dynamics Division and Leader, Climate Sensitivity and CO2 Research Group (1987-1995); and Senior Scientist; Climate Change Research Section, Climate & Global Dynamics Division (1995-present), Boulder (Colo.).

1964Ph.D in Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park (Pa.).

1968 – 1971Adjunct Associate Professor of Meteorology and Oceanography, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Mich.).

1978 – 1984Presidential Appointment to the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere.

1980Fellow, American Meteorological Society.

1981Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1989Fellow, The Alumni Fellow Program, The Pennsylvania State University.

1990Fellow, The Alumni Fellow Program, Oregon State University.

1991Awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award, Pennsylvania State University.

1993Fellow, African Scientific Institute.

1994President, American Meteorological Society.

1994 – 2006Presidential Appointment to National Science Board.

1995Awarded the Le Verrier Medal of the Meteorological Society of France (Societe Meteorologique de France).

1996Awarded the E. B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award, Oregon State University.

1997Awarded the Department of Energy Biological and Environmental Research Program Exceptional Service Award for Atmospheric Sciences.

1998Walter Orr Roberts Distinguished Lecturer, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

1998 – 1999Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer.

1999Awarded the National Weather Service Modernization Award.

1999Awarded the Science and Medicine Award (now called the Arts and Society Award), Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.

2000Awarded the Dr. Charles Anderson Award, American Meteorological Society.

2002Member, National Academy of Engineering.

2003Member, American Philosophical Society.

2004Awarded the Howard Vollum Award for Distinguished Accomplishment in Science and Technology, Reed College.

2007U. S. Department of Energy Lifetime Achievement Award from Raymond L. Orbach.

2007Honored at Warren Washington Symposium on Climate Modeling, Prediction and Science Policy, National Center for Atmospheric Research.

2007Awarded the Charles Franklin Brooks Award for Outstanding Services to the Society, American Meteorological Society.

2009 Awarded the National Medal of Science awarded by President Barack Obama.

2009Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

2009Awarded the Jule G. Charney Award for Outstanding Collaborative Contributions to Modeling Climate and its Response to Anthropogenic and Natural Forcings, American Meteorological Society.

2010Awarded the Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University.

2010Awarded the James E. Stewart Award, American Association of Blacks in Energy.

2010 Tzvi Gal-Chen Memorial Lecturer, University of Oklahoma.

2011Named National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences.

2013Awarded the Percy L. Julian Award, National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

2013Fellow, American Geophysical Union.

2015 – 2018Awarded the NCAR Distinguished Scholar Award, National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Occupation

Meteorologist and atmospheric scientist.

Places

Birth

Portland (Or.)

Undergraduate Education

Corvallis (Or.)

Graduate Education

Corvallis (Or.)

University Park (Pa.)

Employment

Ann Arbor (Mich.)

Boulder (Colo.)

Subjects

Atmospheric chemistry.

Climatology.

Meteorology.

Relationships

People

Family

Washington, Mary C.

Spouse; and collaborated on book, "Odyssey in climate modeling, global warming, and advising five presidents."

Advisors & Collaborators

Parkinson, Claire L.

Collaborated on book, "An introduction to three-dimensional climate modeling."

Additional

Anthes, Richard A.

Cressman, George P. (George Parmley), 1919-2008

Hakkarinen, C.

Houghton, David D.

Also served as AMS President.

Johnson, Donald R., 1930-

Also served as AMS President.

Leith, Cecil E., 1923-

London, Julius, 1917-

MacDonald, Gordon J. (Gordon James), 1929-2002

Phillips, Norman A., 1923-

Ryan, Robert T.

Also served as AMS President.

Schneider, Stephen Henry

Shepherd, J. Marshall

Also served as AMS President.

Try, Paul D. (Paul David), 1938-

Also served as AMS President.

Van Loon, H., 1925-

Wiin-Nielsen, A.,

Institutions

Major Positions

National Center for Atmospheric Research (U.S.)

Senior Scientist; Program Scientist, Dynamical Aspects of Atmospheric Circulation; Project Leader, Large-Scale Modeling and Analysis Group; Head, Climate Section and Leader, Global Climate Modeling Group; Director, Climate & Global Dynamics Division and Leader, Climate Sensitivity and CO2 Research Group; Senior Scientist; Climate Change Research Section, Climate & Global Dynamics Division; and awarded Awarded the NCAR Distinguished Scholar Award (2015-2018).

National Science Board (U.S.)

Presidential Appointment (1994-2006).

Pennsylvania State University

Research Associate; Ph.D. in Meteorology (1964); Fellow, The Alumni Fellow Program; and awarded the Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (2010).

Stanford Research Institute

Mathematician.

United States. National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere

Presidential Appointment (1978-1984).

University of Michigan. College of Engineering

Adjunct Associate Professor of Meteorology and Oceanography.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

African Scientific Institute

Fellow.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Member.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Fellow.

American Association of Blacks in Energy

Awarded the James E. Stewart Award (2010).

American Geophysical Union

Fellow.

American Meteorological Society

President; Honorary Member; Awarded the Dr. Charles Anderson Award (2000); and the Charles Franklin Brooks Award for Outstanding Services to the Society (2007).

American Philosophical Society

Member.

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Awarded the Science and Medicine Award (1999).

National Academy of Engineering

Member.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

National Associate.

National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers

Awarded the Percy L. Julian Award (2013).

Oregon State University

B.S. in Physics (1958); M.S. in Meteorology (1960); Fellow, The Alumni Fellow Program; and awarded the E. B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award (1996).

Reed College (Portland, Or.). Physics Department

Awarded the Howard Vollum Award (2004).

Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society

Distinguished Lecturer.

Société météorologique de France

Awarded the La Verrier Medal (1995).

United States. Department of Energy

Awarded the Biological and Environmental Research Program Exceptional Service Award for Atmospheric Sciences (1997).

United States. National Weather Service

Awarded the National Weather Service Modernization Award (1999).

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Walter Orr Roberts Distinguished Lecturer.

University of Oklahoma

Tzvi Gal-Chen Memorial Lecturer.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

NCAR/UCAR Oral History Project records, 1968-2009 (bulk 1985-1991).

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Oral history interview with Aksel Wiin-Nielsen, 29 June 1987.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Oral history interview with George Cressman, 24 August 1992.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Oral history interview with Julius London, 1987 May 21.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Oral history interview with Norman A. Phillips, 1989 October 2 and 3.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Richard Anthes, 2004.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Oral history interview with Warren M. Washington, 1998 October 28 and 29.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Warren M. Washington, 22 October 2008.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Warren Washington papers, circa 1963-1980.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Subject

Oral history interview with Akira Kasahara, 1998 November 2 and 3.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Cecil E. "Chuck" Leith, 1997 July 2.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Charles "Chuck" Hakkarinen, 2013 February 22.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Gordon J. F. MacDonald, 1994 March 21.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Harry Van Loon, 2004 September 4.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Richard Anthes, 2013 March 11 and 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Stephen Schneider, 10 January 2002.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Ronald E. Mickens collection on African-American physicists, circa 1950-2008.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Odyssey in climate modeling, global warming, and advising five presidents / by Warren M. Washington ; edited by Mary C. Washington.

Subject

Business Insider article, "When Warren Washington created the first climate model, he had no idea how necessary it was. He just won the 'Nobel Prize for the environment.'"

Climate Change Research biography of Warren Washington.

National Center for Atmospheric Research biography of Warren M. Washington.