Piero LIONELLO

Piero LIONELLO is a Full Professor in Atmospheric Physics and Oceanography at the University of Salento, where he leads research in regional and global climate dynamics, extreme weather events, and marine climate change impacts. He serves as president of the MedCLIVAR network, director of the Master’s program in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, director of the Environmental Museum (MAUS), and editorial board member of Natural Hazards and Earth System Science. With a career spanning institutions like MIT, MPI für Meteorologie, and ECMWF, he has focused on Mediterranean climate vulnerability since the 1980s.

• Research Leadership: Specializing in regional climate modeling, synoptic climatology, and coastal oceanography, he has coordinated the Climate Change Science PhD program and contributed to IPCC AR6 and MedECC reports.
• Projects: Participated in international initiatives (CIRCE, RISES-AM, SOCLIMPACT) and Italian programs, including MedCLIVAR and MEDECC steering group.

Publications: Authored over 100 SCOPUS/Web of Science papers, his work spans high-resolution climate modeling, statistical downscaling, and interdisciplinary studies linking climate to agriculture, ecosystems, and coastal management. Notable contributions include analyses of Mediterranean sea level rise, cyclone variability, and operational oceanography applications for Venetian storm surge prediction.

• Awards:
  • North-South Award (Council of Europe, 2020)
  • Stanford’s Top 2% Scientists (2020)

Education & Teaching: Graduated magna cum laude in Physics (1984). Currently teaches Climate Dynamics and Monitoring and Weather Forecasts and Climate Risks to Master’s students, with courses covering climate system components, energy budgets, teleconnections, and climate-impact modeling.