AGU Atmospheric Sciences Section

Yoram J. Kaufman Award for Unselfish Cooperation in Research

 

The Atmospheric Sciences Section of the American Geophysical Union is pleased to announce the establishment of a new Section Award for atmospheric scientists, the Yoram J. Kaufman Unselfish Cooperation in Research Award. This award is named in honor of Yoram J. Kaufman, an outstanding atmospheric scientist, mentor, and creator of international collaborations who worked on atmospheric aerosols and their influence on the Earth's climate for his entire 30-year career. Yoram was tragically killed in a bicycle accident just at the peak of his career at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He grew in the 1990s to be a leading light in aerosol research, both as an author of many new theoretical ideas and as a leader of field campaigns like SCAR-B. He also captained the first NASA Earth Observing System platform, Terra, as its Project Scientist. He advised and mentored a large number of students and junior scientists, and was known for his quick insight, great heart, deep wisdom, and outreach to national and international collaborators.

The AS Section will make the first annual Kaufman Award at the Meeting of the Americas (Joint Assembly) in Toronto in May 2009. The citation will read: "The Yoram J. Kaufman Award for broad influence in atmospheric science through exceptional creativity, inspiration of younger scientists, mentoring, international collaborations, and unselfish cooperation in research." The Kaufman Award will consist of a certificate and a $1,000 credit toward AGU services. The credit may be used for journal subscriptions, book purchases, and AGU meeting registration fees, to be spent over a period of not more than three years from receiving the award. When the award is presented outside the recipient's home country, it will consist in addition of a travel grant of $1000 specifically to attend the AGU meeting at which it is presented.

Now is the time to submit nominations for the Kaufman Award. The deadline is December 1, 2008. To be eligible, the candidate must be a member of the AGU, and be at least ten years past the award of the Ph.D. (or equivalent). The nomination package must consist of:

· a nomination letter,
· the candidate's curriculum vitae, and
· three letters of recommendation, at least one from a collaborator of the nominee from a different nation.

The nomination and supporting letters should clearly state how the nominated individual has exhibited the qualities noted in the citation. Nominations must be submitted by December 1, 2008 (as one combined pdf file) to the Atmospheric Sciences Section President-Elect, Professor Anne M. Thompson, anne@met.psu.edu.

 

Prepared by Alan Robock (robock@envsci.rutgers.edu) - Last updated on September 14, 2008