ESSIC Research Scientist William Lau has been newly elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a lifetime distinction that recognizes important contributions to STEM disciplines, including pioneering research, leadership, teaching and mentoring, fostering collaborations, and advancing public understanding of science.
Lau, one of eight fellows from the University of Maryland, is recognized for his profound contributions to the understanding of atmospheric low-frequency oscillations, monsoon dynamics, aerosol-monsoon interaction, and hydroclimate variability and change, through original data analysis and modeling.
In addition to his work at ESSIC, Lau is an adjunct professor of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOSC), University of Maryland, and Emeritus Director for Atmosphere, Earth Science Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His research work spans more than 40 years of data analyses, field campaigns and modeling studies, covering a wide range of topics in climate dynamics, tropical and monsoon meteorology, ocean-atmosphere interaction, aerosol-water cycle interaction, climate variability and change.
Recently, Dr. Lau led a team of ESSIC scientists in a study that identified specific changes in the large-scale circulation under global warming as the root cause of tropospheric warming and drying, exacerbating wildfires in Western United States. For the ESSIC news feature on this research, and his recent peer-review publication on wildfire and regional climate feedback, click here: “Lau, Li, Tao Find Link Between Western Wildfires and Global Warming”.
For more information on the AAAS Fellows program, click here: “AAAS Announces Leading Scientists Elected as 2020 Fellows”.
