The American Meteorological Society has announced its 2027 Awards and Honors, spotlighting scientists, forecasters, communicators, educators, and organizations whose work is reshaping how society understands and responds to weather, water, and climate risks. The recipients will be honored during the 107th AMS Annual Meeting in Denver from 10 to 14 January 2027. This year’s awards span atmospheric physics, ocean circulation, drought, hurricanes, satellite observation, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, public safety, and the communication of complex science to millions of people.
Among the highest distinctions are four new AMS Honorary Members: atmospheric scientist Inez Fung, former AMS executive director Keith Seitter, climate and atmospheric scientist J. Marshall Shepherd, and longtime NOAA leader Louis W. Uccellini. Honorary Membership is reserved for individuals whose scientific achievements, applications, leadership, or service have had an exceptional influence on the atmospheric, oceanic, or hydrologic sciences. Their selection reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of modern Earth-system science, in which climate, weather, society, and policy are tightly connected.
The Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal will go to Rong Fu for pioneering observations of the atmospheric water cycle and land-atmosphere coupling. These processes describe how moisture moves between soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere, influencing rainfall, drought, and fire weather. Paola Cessi will receive the Henry Stommel Research Medal for advancing understanding of the ocean’s large-scale meridional overturning circulation, a system that transports heat, carbon, and nutrients around the planet. Sharon Nicholson, honored with the Hydrologic Sciences Medal, is recognized for foundational work on dryland hydroclimatology, particularly across Africa, where rainfall variability directly affects food and water security.
Other major science medals highlight the global machinery driving weather and climate. Renhe Zhang will receive the Sverdrup Gold Medal for clarifying Asian monsoon variability and its relationship with Northwest Pacific ocean-atmosphere interactions and El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Christian Kummerow will be awarded the Verner E. Suomi Technology Medal for transforming precipitation measurement through satellite microwave remote sensing. By detecting how raindrops, ice particles, and cloud structures interact with microwave radiation, such systems provide critical observations over oceans and remote regions where ground-based instruments are scarce.
David Thompson will receive the Jule G. Charney Medal for research into climate variability, stratospheric influences on global change, and the reliability of observed temperature records. Venkatachalam Ramaswamy will receive the Warren Washington Research and Leadership Medal for influential research on radiation-climate interactions and his leadership of NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The Jagadish Shukla Earth System Predictability Prize will recognize Xin-Zhong Liang, whose regional Earth-system models integrate atmospheric, hydrologic, ecological, and human influences to improve decision support for climate-sensitive communities.
The awards also emphasize the infrastructure and public institutions that make scientific progress possible. Eric DeWeaver is being honored for two decades of leadership in the National Science Foundation’s Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics Program, while Jim Mather is recognized for strengthening the scientific reach and accessibility of a major atmospheric observing facility. The National Weather Service AI Language Translation Program Team will receive the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award for developing the agency’s first artificial-intelligence-powered multilingual weather translation system. The technology is designed to make urgent forecasts and warnings accessible to people who may not receive life-saving information in English.
Several awards focus on mentorship, inclusion, and the human side of science. Jennifer D. Small Griswold will receive the Edward N. Lorenz Teaching Excellence Award for connecting atmospheric science with culture, place, and community while supporting students from diverse backgrounds. Isha Renta López will receive the Robert H. and Joanne Simpson Mentorship Award for expanding STEM access among Hispanic and Latin communities through science communication and engagement. Mona Behl will receive the Charles E. Anderson Award for advancing diversity and equity through organizational change, advocacy, and sustained mentorship in the geosciences.
Research addressing immediate societal challenges is also prominent. David Nolan will receive the Joanne Simpson Tropical Meteorology Research Award for work combining theory, field measurements, and numerical modeling to improve understanding of hurricane dynamics and forecasting. John Mitchell will receive the Syukuro Manabe Climate Research Award for developing and applying climate models that revealed how greenhouse gases and aerosols influence human-caused climate change. Sara Pryor is recognized for advancing renewable-energy research through actionable science, international collaboration, and mentorship, while Claudia Wagner-Riddle is honored for explaining the processes controlling greenhouse-gas emissions from agricultural ecosystems.
The 2027 recipients further include scientists working on urban meteorology, boundary-layer turbulence, ocean dynamics, and climate extremes. Shiguang Miao is being honored for research that improves urban forecasting, disaster-risk reduction, and resilience. John Albertson will receive an award for connecting turbulence physics with environmental challenges through simulations and field experiments. Early-career honors go to Ángel Adames Corraliza for moisture-mode theory in tropical dynamics, Aaron Piña for bridging science, policy, and community service, Zhiwei Zhang for research on submesoscale ocean dynamics, and Karen McKinnon for studying how internal variability and land-atmosphere feedbacks shape extreme temperatures and precipitation.
Forecasting and communication awards underscore the direct connection between atmospheric science and public safety. The National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, will receive the Award for an Exceptional Specific Prediction for life-saving forecasts during historic high-impact weather events in spring 2025. Jason Sippel will receive the Charles L. Mitchell Award for improving hurricane prediction through the operational use of reconnaissance observations. Broadcast meteorologists Jay Trobec and Drew Anderson are recognized for global leadership and for making topics ranging from earthquakes to auroras understandable through engaging scientific storytelling.
The AMS will also honor the Farthest North Chapter as its Local Chapter of the Year and the CU Boulder American Meteorological Society Chapter as its Local Student Chapter of the Year. Lectureships will recognize Jeffrey Pierce for research linking atmospheric particles with air quality, climate, and human health; Ashok Mishra for work on drought propagation and water security; and Daniela Domeisen for research into stratosphere-troposphere coupling and subseasonal prediction. The National Lightning Safety Council will receive a Special Award for 25 years of public education and advocacy, while 28 scientists will become AMS Fellows. Together, the selections illustrate a field moving rapidly from observation and theory toward prediction systems, inclusive communication, and practical tools for a safer world.
Subject of Research: Weather, water, climate science, atmospheric and oceanic research, forecasting, Earth-system modeling, scientific communication, and public safety.
Article Title: AMS Announces 2027 Honors Recognizing Breakthroughs in Climate Science, Forecasting, and Public Safety
Web References: https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/about-ams/ams-awards-honors/2027-award-and-honors-recipients; https://annual.ametsoc.org/2027/
Keywords: American Meteorological Society, AMS Awards 2027, climate science, meteorology, atmospheric science, hydrology, oceanography, hurricanes, drought, Earth-system modeling, artificial intelligence, weather forecasting, renewable energy, lightning safety, science communication
