The National Academy of Sciences announced the election of 120 new members, including distinguished climate scientist Clara Deser of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Deser is a senior scientist in the Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory (CGD) in NCAR, where she studies global climate variability and climate change in observations and models. Her research focuses on the interactions among the atmosphere, ocean, and sea ice. 

“We are very proud to see Clara recognized by the National Academy of Sciences. She is a world-renowned climate scientist who has contributed greatly to our understanding of Earth’s climate system,” said NCAR Director Everette Joseph. “Clara represents the best of NCAR’s mission to produce science in service to society, and this honor is well-deserved.”

At NCAR, Deser serves as the head of the Climate Analysis Section in CGD, and she has co-authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. Deser provides leadership to many national and international projects, including the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble, a tool for studying past and future projections of climate variability and change with NCAR’s flagship climate model. In 2020 Deser received the Jule G. Charney Medal from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) “for fundamental insights into the structure, genesis, and predictability of decadal variability in the atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere.” Deser is also a fellow of the AMS and the American Geophysical Union.

“Election to the Academy is a great honor and I am delighted to see Clara recognized for her continuing achievements and leadership for research on global climate variability,” said University Corporation for Atmospheric Research President Antonio Busalacchi. “Congratulations on this distinguished recognition, Clara.”

“It's a huge honor,” said Deser. “I am privileged to work at NCAR, which has given me boundless opportunities for collaboration with outstanding scientists and mentorship of early-career researchers. I am also grateful for so many supportive colleagues around the world.” 

Election to the National Academy of Sciences is widely accepted as a mark of excellence in science. The election of the 120 new members to the National Academy of Sciences will bring the total number of active members to 2,461. Read more about this year’s cohort from the National Academy of Sciences’ press release on their website.

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