Professors Michael Prather and Isabella Velicogna named Fellows of the American Meteorological Society

The American Meteorological Society has named UC Irvine’s Distinguished Professor Michael Prather and Professor Isabella Velicogna to its 2024 class of Fellows, an honor limited to the top 0.2% of all AMS members each year. Prather, who joined UCI in 1992 as one of the founding faculty members of ESS, leads research addressing the ways in which the composition of the atmosphere changes, be it through biological, physical or chemical processes. This includes a recent critical assessment of how a hydrogen fuel-based economy, including cars and the transport sector, might change the atmosphere and help us mitigate global warming. “It is humbling, but also a great delight to have one’s science recognized by one’s peers,” Prather said. “It’s an honor that couldn’t have come without the support of his scientific partners and colleagues. I am indebted to all at UCI and beyond who believed in my work and took the time and thought to prepare a convincing case for my nomination. Thank you all.”

Veliogna’s designation as a fellow recognizes a career dedicated to researching the ways in which ice sheets are changing in the face of human-driven climate change. It’s work that involves NASA’s GRACE satellite mission, which uses changes gravitational force to study changes in land water hydrology and ice sheet mass balance over the last twenty years. “Becoming a fellow is the highest recognition level for scientific members of AMS, so I feel very honored and humbled,” said Velicogna. “I am fortunate to have worked with great colleagues and students over the years. Working with them made all the breakthroughs possible.”

A formal presentation of new fellows will happen at the 104th AMS Annual Meeting at the Awards Ceremony on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.