2024 News & Events

Dr. Jake Gristey is the 2024 recipient of the International Radiation Commission (IRC) Young Scientist Award.

Founded in 1896, the IRC is the oldest of the ten commissions of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS), itself one of the associations of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The IRC is also the longest running commission under the IUGG. First established in 2004, every four years this award honors a young scientist who has made recent noteworthy contributions to radiation science, showing the potential for becoming a leader in the field. Candidates for the young scientist award must be within 10 years of receiving their PhD and under the age of 40 years at the time of nomination.

In the nomination, Christine Chiu (Colorado State University) stated, "Jake received his Ph.D. just five years ago, but he has demonstrated an incredibly wide range of expertise, from high-resolution modeling to satellite mission design, and from pure curiosity-driven science questions to machine-learning applications. He is well-rounded in all aspects – science, technology, and applications, and it is amazing to learn that he will be just turning 32 years old this November."

Jake is not only an excellent young scientist but also an independent, creative, and mature leader, even at this early stage of his career. He is humble, inclusive, and fair. He stands out because of his originality, clarity of thought, and broad expertise paired with his vision in radiation science. Jake's outstanding record of achievement makes him a deserving candidate to be recognized with the 2024 IRC Young Scientist Award.

The president of the IRC, Peter Pilewskie (University of Colorado Boulder), presented the 2024 IRC Young Scientist Award to Jake during the banquet ceremony at the 2024 International Radiation Symposium (IRS 2024), held in Hangzhou, China, from June 17-21, 2024.