James W. Hurrell

James W. Hurrell is a Professor and Scott Presidential Chair in Environmental Science and Engineering at Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science (since 2018). Previously, he served as Director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR, 2013–2018), and held senior roles including Senior Scientist at NCAR's Climate and Global Dynamics Lab. His research focuses on climate variability, predictability, and anthropogenic climate change impacts, with emphasis on decadal-scale natural variability and geoengineering. He has authored/co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and actively contributes to global climate initiatives like WCRP/CLIVAR.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Purdue University (1990)
• M.S. in Atmospheric Science, Purdue University (1986)
• B.S. in Earth and Space Science & Mathematics, University of Indianapolis (1984)

Research Interests: Global climate change mechanisms, seasonal-to-decadal climate predictability, solar climate intervention (SCI), and the interplay between natural variability and anthropogenic forcing. He uses model simulations to assess SCI's potential benefits/risks and advises policymakers on climate science.

Awards:

• 2016: University of Indianapolis Distinguished Alumni Award
• 2011: Fridtjof Nansen Medal
• 2010: AGU Fellow
• 2006: AMS Fellow

Grants & Leadership: Funded by NSF and NOAA. Served on IPCC assessment panels, U.S. Senate/House briefings, and led international programs like CLIVAR. Former Director of NCAR Earth System Laboratory and Chief Scientist of the Community Earth System Model (CESM).

Current Activities: Leads the Hurrell Group at CSU, investigating climate intervention strategies and decadal climate predictability. Collaborates globally on model-based climate analysis.