EARTH & PLANETARY SCIENCES NEWS

Alumnus Noah Diffenbaugh receives AGU award in atmospheric sciences

Alumnus Noah S. Diffenbaugh received the 2006 James R. Holton Award from the Atmospheric Sciences Section of the American Geophysical Union. The Holton Award recognizes outstanding scientific accomplishments by a junior scientist to the field of atmospheric science. Noah is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Purdue University. He received his Ph.D. in 2003, working with Lisa Sloan on climate modeling and biosphere-atmospheric interactions. Noah's recent work has focused on extreme climate events in future climate simulations and their impacts on natural and human systems (for example U.S. wine grape production).

Noah's award continues a recent string of awards for graduate alumni of the department. Demian Saffer (Ph.D. 1999) was the 2005 recipient of the Donath Medal from the Geological Society of America. The medal is awarded to a young scientist for outstanding achievement through original research that marks a major advance in the earth sciences. Demian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Penn State. Greg Hancock (Ph.D. 1998) was the 2004 recipient of the Biggs Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching, also awarded by the Geological Society of America. Greg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geology at the College of William and Mary.