معرفی
Dr. Jonathan T. Overpeck is the Samuel A. Graham Dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan, where he also holds the William B. Stapp Collegiate Professorship of Environmental Education. He is a Professor of both Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, with a career spanning climate-vegetation interactions, abrupt climate change, monsoon dynamics, drought hydroclimate, sea level rise research, and interdisciplinary climate assessment. Overpeck has published over 230 works cited 60,000+ times, emphasizing public education, university-community partnerships for climate solutions, and environmental justice initiatives.
- PhD in Geological Sciences, Brown University
- MSc in Geological Sciences, Brown University
- BA in Geology (Honors), Hamilton College
His research spans climate-biosphere interactions, climate variability and abrupt change, monsoon dynamics, drought and hydroclimate, sea level rise, climate law, and climate adaptation. Overpeck pioneered studies on megadrought terminology, temperature-driven drought intensification, and the aridification of North America. His work with the NOAA Paleoclimate Program and World Data Center for Paleoclimatology established foundational understanding of climate dynamics through annually-laminated sediment analysis in the Cariaco Basin.
Overpeck's 2020-2024 research includes climate aridification, hydroclimate scaling mismatches, and temperature-precipitation interactions, with recent focus on Antarctic heatwaves, Mississippi River Basin changes, and corporate climate accountability. His article trends show concentration in climate attribution, hydrological extremes, paleoclimate modeling, and climate policy analysis.
Scientific Honors:
- 2024 U.S. National Academy of Sciences
- 2015 American Geophysical Union Fellow
- 2009 AAAS Fellow
- 2007 Nobel Peace Prize contributor (IPCC)
- 2005 Guggenheim Fellowship
- Multiple U.S. Department of Commerce awards
Overpeck has led or participated in significant climate adaptation projects, including NSF grants totaling $5.1M+ for Southwest Hydroclimatic Extremes (2017-2020), Amazon Drought Impacts (2014-2018), and Quantifying Drought Risk (2013-2018). He serves on the Colorado River Research Group (2014-present) and advises Climate Communication (2011-present).
Current initiatives include Great Lakes University positioning, Michigan's climate resilience planning, and the Audacious Water podcast series examining Mississippi River Basin transformations. Overpeck actively contributes to climate policy discourse, advocating for science-informed decision-making and stakeholder collaboration across government, military, and corporate sectors.
