About
Noah S. Diffenbaugh is the Kara J Foundation Professor and Kimmelman Family Senior Fellow in Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability, with additional appointments as Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and Affiliate of the Precourt Institute for Energy. He directs the Climate and Earth System Dynamics Group within the Department of Earth System Science.
Education
- Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz (2003)
- M.S. in Earth Systems, Stanford University (1997)
- B.S. in Earth Systems, Stanford University (1997)
Research Interests
Professor Diffenbaugh’s research integrates physical climate modeling with assessments of natural and human vulnerabilities. His group investigates how fine-scale climate processes—such as temperature and precipitation extremes—impact water resources, agriculture, human health, and poverty. By combining numerical models, machine-learning techniques, and observational data, they quantify the mechanisms shaping extreme events and project regional climate risks across multiple degrees of global warming.
Scientific Awards & Honors
- Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2020)
- William Kaula Award, AGU (2020)
- James R. Holton Award, AGU (2006)
- Highly Cited Researcher, Web of Science (2020–2024)
- Kavli Fellow, U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2010, 2016)
- NSF CAREER Award (2010–2015)
Advising & Mentorship
Prof. Diffenbaugh currently advises doctoral students June Choi and Jared Trok, mentors postdoctoral researcher Makoto Kelp and doctoral candidate Peidong Wang, and serves as reader for Adam Burnett’s dissertation. He also directs independent study, directed research, and honors projects for numerous undergraduates across Earth Systems and Sustainability programs.
Laboratory & Teams
He leads the Climate and Earth System Dynamics Group (climatelab.stanford.edu), a multidisciplinary team using high-resolution Earth-system models and data-driven approaches to study climate dynamics and societal impacts.
