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Sustainability UGA’s J. Marshall Shepherd, PhD, is a leading climate expert and science communicator.
Unlike some meteorologists, J. Marshall Shepherd doesn’t deliver the 5-day forecast. Instead, he’s looking years into the future and tracking extreme weather that could severely harm communities around the world. As one of the foremost climate experts, his research is highly sought after. In fact, Shepherd, who serves as the director of the UGA Atmospheric Sciences Program, has worked with key leaders at NASA, the White House, Congress, Department of Defense as well as officials from foreign countries.
As the only UGA faculty member to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Shepherd is highly respected across many disciplines.
And on June 26, you can join him during the inaugural National Academies State of the Science Address, where he joins other national leaders on a panel during this high-profile event.
A major focus of Shepherd’s work is on climate vulnerability, which quantifies the current and future vulnerability of human populations, particularly underrepresented groups, to long-term and episodic climate change events. It’s a subject he has lectured on during TEDX series and academic conferences.
“There are some people who have higher vulnerability to weather events than others,” said Shepherd. “A report from the national climate assessment shows that older adults, children, communities of color and low-income communities are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather.”
His research has yielded possible solutions to these problems, which he shares with his audiences, because as he puts it, “There is no Planet B for humanity, so we better understand this one well.”
Shepherd’s work has produced multiple accolades throughout his career. In 2004, President George W. Bush presented him the Presidential Early Career Award for his pioneering scientific research. In 2013, he served as President of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). In 2014, Ted Turner and his Captain Planet Foundation honored Dr. Shepherd with its Protector of the Earth Award. He was again, summoned to Washington D.C., in 2015 to moderate the White House Champions for Change event. And he returned in 2023 to moderate a discussion on climate change with Vice President Kamala Harris.
But 2022 may have his most decorated year, as Georgia Trend magazine recognized him as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians. And he was named the 2022 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Professor of the Year.
“As a distinguished and celebrated scholar, he represents the very best of our university. His outstanding teaching has enriched the lives of students and equipped future scholars,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Through his pioneering research, he has advanced society’s understanding of weather and climate, impacting communities near and far, and his groundbreaking outreach and service has made us better stewards of our world.”
Of course, high-level government officials aren’t the only ones to engage with Shepherd’s expertise. As host of The Weather Channel’s award-winning Weather Geeks, which was a pioneering TV talk show, he was able to reach millions of people around the globe and educate the masses on the science of climate. The show is now available as a popular podcast. Shepherd is also a regular contributor to Forbes.
While there is a lot of attention being paid to Shepherd, it’s his message of understanding our planet’s climate and solving for extreme weather that he is most concerned about. From one year to the next, our weather becomes more volatile, and a greater number of people are at risk from these events. However, we are not helpless to make a difference and to understand our own roles in mitigating the solutions.
As Shepherd says, “A climate-informed public is essential to moving solutions from incremental to monumental.”
