David Neelin

David Neelin is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with continuous faculty service since 1988. He holds additional affiliations with UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, and the Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science & Engineering.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science, Honors, Physics, University of Toronto (1981)
• Master of Science, Physics, University of Toronto (1983)
• Doctorate, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Program, Princeton University (1987)
• Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT (1987-1988)

Neelin’s research pioneers the understanding of coupled climate processes, particularly ocean-atmosphere interactions in tropical systems. His foundational work on El Niño/Southern Oscillation revealed critical moist convection dynamics, evolving into studies of moist teleconnections and tropical precipitation responses to global warming. Current investigations focus on climate extremes, using theoretical frameworks and observational data to dissect mechanisms behind extreme precipitation and heatwaves, with emphasis on water vapor feedbacks and convection limitations.

Analysis of his 2017-2025 publications reveals consistent advancement in climate extremes research, integrating field campaigns (e.g., GoAmazon2014/5) with modeling to address scale interactions in deep convection. A dominant theme is physical mechanism elucidation—such as dry air entrainment limiting convection during heatwaves—and statistical characterization of extreme precipitation probabilities across regional climate models, directly informing climate change impact assessments.

Major recognitions include:

• Charney Medal (AMS, 2019) for fundamental contributions to climate dynamics
• Bert Bolin Award (AGU, 2017) for global environmental change research
• Election as Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2015)
• Concurrent Fellowships in AAAS, AGU, AMS, and Royal Meteorological Society
• Guggenheim Fellowship and NSF Special Creativity Award

Neelin has shaped climate science education through his textbook Climate change and climate modeling (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and IPCC contributions (Second and Fifth Assessment Reports). His research has been sustained by prestigious awards including the Presidential Young Investigator Award and NSF funding, supporting theoretical and observational work on coupled climate systems. Current leadership roles include Deputy Editor of Science Advances and Chair of NOAA’s Model Diagnostics Task Force.

His collaborative work spans UCLA’s environmental and geophysical institutes, leveraging interdisciplinary teams for earth system science, with recent focus on regional climate volatility and extreme event attribution through the Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science & Engineering.