SHANG-PING XIE , PH . D .
PROFESSOR OF CLIMATE , ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE AND PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Roger Revelle Chair in Environmental Science
Research focus : I study the physics of climate variability and change , with a focus on the phenomena of El Niño and global warming .
Real-world impact : Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity . In 2013 , I attended a United Nations meeting where more than 100 national delegations approved a major climate assessment report my team authored . It was gratifying to contribute to the global understanding and discussion of climate change .
What surprises you still about your subject area , and why ? I am often surprised at the far-reaching impacts our research has on society . In the 1980s , I built one of the first computer models of El Niño as a graduate student . It was a hot topic for scientists , but few in the general public knew the concept . El Niño ’ s rapid ascent in fame amazes me . Today , El Niño is everywhere .
Your research in one word ? Meaningful .
Photo : Jarrett Haley
Throughout history , whose chair would you most want to sit in ? Sir Isaac Newton , the greatest scientist who ever lived .
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