STEM Spotlight: Climate Change

Lonnie G. Thompson is a Distinguished University Professor in the School of Earth Sciences and a Research Scientist in the Byrd Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University. His research has propelled the field of ice core paleoclimatology out of the Polar Regions to the highest tropical and subtropical ice fields. Dr. Thompson is a recipient of the National Medal of Science for his work in climate science. His observations of glacier retreat over the last three decades confirm that glaciers around the world are melting and provide clear evidence that the warming of the last 50 years is now outside the range of climate variability for several millennia, if not longer.

Terri Adams, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Howard University. She currently serves as Dean of Research in the Graduate School and the Interim Director of the NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M) at Howard University. Dr. Adams’ research takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine issues that have both theoretical and practical implications. Her specific research interests include emergency management, behavioral responses to severe weather and climate, and the impact of trauma and disasters on individuals and organizations. Her work centers on the decision-making processes of both individuals and organizations in the face of crisis events. Dr. Adams’ is the author of Policing During in Natural Disasters: Stress, Resilience, and the Challenges of Emergency Management, takes a critical review of the challenges faced by first responders before, during, and after natural disasters.

Our moderator Yessenia Funes is the Climate Director of Atmos, a nonprofit independent magazine dedicated to covering climate and culture. She’s been published in Vogue, The Guardian, HuffPost, Earther, Grist, and more.