Ralph Cicerone

Ralph Cicerone
Name	Ralph J. Cicerone
Birth date	April 2, 1943
Birth place	New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States
Death date	June 5, 2016
Death place	Bonita Springs, Florida, United States
Nationality	American
Fields	Atmospheric science, climate change, infrared spectroscopy
Workplaces	University of Michigan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, Irvine, National Academy of Sciences
Alma mater	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan
Known for	Research on greenhouse gases, atmospheric chemistry, leadership of scientific institutions

Ralph Cicerone was an American atmospheric scientist and academic leader noted for pioneering research on infrared spectroscopy of atmospheric gases and for prominent leadership of scientific institutions. He served as chancellor of the University of California, Irvine and as president of the National Academy of Sciences, advising United States presidents, federal agencies, and international organizations on climate change and environmental policy. His career bridged research, administration, and science policy, influencing institutions such as the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Early life and education

Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Cicerone studied physics and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and completed graduate work at the University of Michigan. He earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric science, training alongside researchers associated with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University. During his student years he interacted with scholars linked to National Center for Atmospheric Research, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and faculty from Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University.

Scientific career and research

Cicerone conducted laboratory and field research on greenhouse gases, atmospheric chemistry, and infrared spectroscopy, collaborating with investigators at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NOAA, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, European Space Agency, and the World Meteorological Organization. His publications addressed the atmospheric lifetimes of methane and ozone, connecting to studies by James Hansen, Susan Solomon, Stephen Schneider, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, and Paul Crutzen. He applied spectroscopic techniques used by researchers at Bell Labs, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. Field campaigns and observational programs he influenced included projects associated with Mauna Loa Observatory, Cape Verde, Barrow, Alaska, South Pole Station, and measurement networks coordinated by Global Atmosphere Watch and World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases.

Academic leadership and presidency at the National Academy of Sciences

Cicerone served as chair, dean, and chancellor at institutions including University of Michigan, University of California, Irvine, and later as president of the National Academy of Sciences. In those roles he worked with boards and leaders from American Association for the Advancement of Science, Carnegie Institution for Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockefeller University, and the Smithsonian Institution. As NAS president he oversaw interactions with the National Research Council, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine (now National Academy of Medicine), and engaged with leaders from U.S. Congress, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Policy involvement and advisory roles

Cicerone advised multiple administrations and international panels, contributing to assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, briefings for President Barack Obama, consultations with President Bill Clinton era officials, and testimony before committees of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. He consulted for agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense. He collaborated with international bodies such as the United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency, and the European Commission, and engaged with research councils like the Royal Society, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Awards and honors

Cicerone received numerous distinctions from organizations including the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. His awards and memberships connected him with honors bestowed by the Royal Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and foundations allied with Rockefeller and Ford Foundation philanthropic programs. He received medals and lectureships associated with Mendenhall Prize, Bjerknes Lecture, and recognition from institutions such as Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of California, and Stanford University.

Personal life and legacy

Cicerone's personal interests included mentorship linking him to scholars at MIT, Caltech, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Pennsylvania State University, and Ohio State University. He was married and had family who survived him; his death in 2016 prompted tributes from leaders at the National Academy of Sciences, Smithsonian Institution, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Environmental Defense Fund, and universities including University of California, Irvine, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His legacy is reflected in continued research at centers such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, and policy dialogues within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Category:1943 births Category:2016 deaths Category:American meteorologists Category:Members of the National Academy of Sciences