3 July 2008
Susan Solomon, CSD Senior Scientist, has been selected to receive the Grande Medaille, the highest honor of the Academy of Sciences in France. The award honors Susan for her work at NOAA "...that has provided not only key measurements but also the theoretical interpretations that helped to understand the processes which pertain to ozone depletion above the poles." It further recognizes her work as Cochair of the IPCC's Working Group I, saying that "...she showed in this mission outstanding scientific, political, and ethical qualities." She will receive the award this fall.
Background: The Grande Medaille was created in 1997. It honors one scholar per year "...who has contributed to the development of science in a decisive way, both through the originality of his/her personal research and by his/her international presence and the stimulating influence which he/she will have had through the creation of a true school of research. The worked carried out will have concerned an important field of fundamental research and shed new light upon and brought about a greater understanding of the discipline in question." French or foreign members of the Academy are eligible for the award; Susan was elected as a Foreign Associate of the French Academy of Sciences in 1995.
Significance: This international award recognizes Susan's many and unique contributions to advancing scientific understanding and communicating science to decisionmakers worldwide. Her work has been pivotal in two key global environmental issues, stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change.