GEM ENVIRONMENTAL
  • Home
  • About
    • Team
    • Previous Team Members
    • Philanthropy
    • Contract Work
    • Our Sponsors
    • Contact
  • Apply Today!
    • GEM Corps Job Board
    • GEM Corps positions >
      • Arizona GEMCorps Positions >
        • AZ Crew Member
        • AZ Education Specialist
        • AZ Campus Ambassador
      • New Mexico GEMCorps Positions >
        • NM AML Crew Leader
        • NM AML Technician
        • NM AML RHT Geographer's Assistant
        • NM AML QT Geographer's Assistant
        • NM Campus Ambassador
    • BLM Internships >
      • NMSO - Geographic Information Systems
      • CFO - Natural Resources Intern
    • Join our Staff >
      • Staff Scientist
      • Grant Writer
      • Public Relations
      • Gallery Sales Associate
    • Volunteer Board Member Positions >
      • Board Member
      • Board Member - Advisory
      • Scholarship Committee Chair
      • Board Officer - Treasurer
      • Board Officer - Secretary
  • Our Programs
    • GEM Corps
    • GEM Scholarships >
      • College Success
      • Undergraduate Scholarship
      • Graduate Scholarship
      • Robert Graves Memorial Scholarship
    • Other Scholarship Resources
  • Blog
  • Outreach
    • Events
    • Community Displays >
      • Women in STEM
      • Erupt Your Career in Volcanology
  • Donate
    • Make A Donation
    • Show Your Supppot
    • Sponsorship
    • Wish List
  • Charity Rocks Gallery

Blog

Black History Month- Dr. Warren Washington

2/25/2021

Comments

 
Picture
“My suggestion to young people is that not only should they read about the history of science and engineering, but that they should read about the lives of those that have made contributions to these fields.”
​― Warren M. Washington

Dr. Warren Washington was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. His father sparked his interest in astronomy with a telescope that he set up on the sidewalk outside their home and Washington visited the library often to borrow books about famous scientists. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in meteorology from Oregon State University. He then attended Pennsylvania State University and completed his doctorate in meteorology there. Dr. Warren was the second African-American to earn a doctorate in atmospheric sciences, the first (and mentor to Washington) was Charles E. Anderson who forecasted weather for the Tuskegee Airmen.

In 1963 Dr. Washington joined the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado as a research scientist. Here is where some of his greatest and most influential research projects took place. In the 1960s he worked with senior scientist Akira Kasahara to create an atmospheric computer model that used the laws of physics to help predict how the climate will change over time. NCAR, with Dr. Washington as part of the team, created the Community Climate Model (CCM) in 1983. This was an open resource that could be used by the climate research community. In the 1990s the model was updated and expanded upon; this new research tool was called the Climate System Model (CSM) and included models of the atmosphere, landmasses, oceans, and sea ice. Due to these models being utilized by atmospheric organizations and groups researching climate change and its effects on the globe the model’s name was changed to the Community Climate System Model (CCSM).

Besides his hugely influential work mapping out climate change, Dr. Washington has many other achievements in his field. Dr. Washington was part of the group of scientists that shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 as a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He was also awarded the National Medal of Science from President Obama in 2010 for “his development and use of global climate models to understand climate… and for his work to support a diverse science and engineering workforce.” Washington has written over 150 publications, including An Introduction to Three-Dimensional Climate Modeling, which he co-wrote with Claire Parkinson in 1986. This book is still used today as an essential reference tool in the field of atmospheric science. He also has served as a member of the President’s National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere and worked under the Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush administrations.

Dr. Washington has encouraged young people and those underrepresented in the STEM fields to both become interested in the sciences and feel supported in their endeavors. He has mentored dozens of both graduate and undergraduate students and according to the UCAR’s staff profile of Dr. Washington: “In 1999, Washington won the Dr. Charles Anderson Award from the American Meteorological Society ‘for pioneering efforts as a mentor and passionate support of individuals, educational programs, and outreach initiatives designed to foster a diverse population of atmospheric scientists.’" This further demonstrates that having both a support system and a true passion for a branch of science are the first steps toward a bright future in the fields of STEM.


Sources:
https://www.cgd.ucar.edu/staff/wmw/
https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/about/?ref=hp
https://nationalmedals.org/laureate/warren-washington/
https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/medalofscience50/washington.jsp
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/777466.Warren_M_Washington
Comments

    Categories

    All
    Annette's Adventures
    Black History Month
    Events
    Explore STEM
    Field Program
    Internships
    Keep America Beautiful Month
    News
    Philanthropy
    Scholarships
    Scholarship Success Spotlight
    Science Stories
    Team Spotlight
    Women's History Month


    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018


    RSS Feed

G.E.M. Environmental NFP
Geology  -  Engineering  -  Minerals  -  Environmental - Not for Profit
Picture

Community Partners

Programs

Field Program
Internships
Scholarships

Get Involved

Contact
Donate
Philanthropy
Sponsorship
Volunteer

About

Blog
Contract Work
Mission
Our Team
Sponsors

Follow Us

Facebook
Instagram
Newsletter
Twitter
You Tube

Sponsors & Donors

Sign up for our newsletter
© COPYRIGHT 2017 - 2023.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  G.E.M. Environmental NFP
GEM Environmental, GEM4STEM, GEM Corps, and Charity Rocks are all Registered Trademarks of G.E.M. Environmental NFP.
Any and all use of Trademarks or Copyrights must be authorized.

Picture

  • Home
  • About
    • Team
    • Previous Team Members
    • Philanthropy
    • Contract Work
    • Our Sponsors
    • Contact
  • Apply Today!
    • GEM Corps Job Board
    • GEM Corps positions >
      • Arizona GEMCorps Positions >
        • AZ Crew Member
        • AZ Education Specialist
        • AZ Campus Ambassador
      • New Mexico GEMCorps Positions >
        • NM AML Crew Leader
        • NM AML Technician
        • NM AML RHT Geographer's Assistant
        • NM AML QT Geographer's Assistant
        • NM Campus Ambassador
    • BLM Internships >
      • NMSO - Geographic Information Systems
      • CFO - Natural Resources Intern
    • Join our Staff >
      • Staff Scientist
      • Grant Writer
      • Public Relations
      • Gallery Sales Associate
    • Volunteer Board Member Positions >
      • Board Member
      • Board Member - Advisory
      • Scholarship Committee Chair
      • Board Officer - Treasurer
      • Board Officer - Secretary
  • Our Programs
    • GEM Corps
    • GEM Scholarships >
      • College Success
      • Undergraduate Scholarship
      • Graduate Scholarship
      • Robert Graves Memorial Scholarship
    • Other Scholarship Resources
  • Blog
  • Outreach
    • Events
    • Community Displays >
      • Women in STEM
      • Erupt Your Career in Volcanology
  • Donate
    • Make A Donation
    • Show Your Supppot
    • Sponsorship
    • Wish List
  • Charity Rocks Gallery