UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Michael Mann, distinguished professor of atmospheric sciences and director of Penn State's Earth System Science Center, is the 2018 recipient of the American Geophysical Union's Climate Communication Prize.
The prize was established in 2011 to highlight the importance of promoting scientific literacy, clarity of message, and efforts to foster respect and understanding of science-based values as they relate to the implications of climate change.
The AGU Climate Communication Prize is given annually to one honoree in recognition of "the communication of climate science." The award honors scientists who have made a significant contribution in promoting scientific literacy and fostering understanding of science-based values, according to the AGU website.
Mann conducts hundreds of media interviews and appearances every year and directly reaches public audiences via social media. His op-eds and commentaries have been published in dozens of outlets, including The Washington Post, The Guardian and Le Monde.
Mann communicates about the effects of climate change through a variety of media, including his third book, "The Madhouse Effect," published in 2017. For this effort, he teamed up with Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Tom Toles to explore public perception of climate change. Mann also was a featured speaker during the 2017 March for Science in Washington, D. C., and has testified before Congress.
Mann also collaborated with author and illustrator Megan Herbert on a children's book titled "The Tantrum that Saved the World." He has appeared in numerous documentary films, including a feature role in "Before The Flood" starring Leonard Di Caprio.
In addition to outreach efforts, Mann continues to conduct and publish research. His areas of interest are in climate science, including climate change, sea level rise, human impact on climate change, climate modeling, and the carbon budget. He is the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed and edited publications.
In February 2018, Mann received the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences Public Engagement with Science Award. In 2017, he was recognized with the Schneider Award from ClimateOne and the National Association of Geoscience Teachers' James H. Shea Award. He was also inducted into the Green Industry Hall of Fame. Mann was elected an AAAS fellow in 2015.
He completed his doctorate at Yale University in 1998.
Mann will receive the award in December at the AGU's fall meeting in Washington, D.C.