Csu Atmospheric Researcher Receives One of American Meteorological Society’s Top Awards

David Thompson, a Colorado State University atmospheric science professor recognized by Time and Popular Science magazines as one of the top young scientists in the country, has won the American Meteorological Society’s prestigious Meisinger Award.

The Clarence Leroy Meisinger Award honors a young, promising atmospheric scientist for outstanding research achievement in the observation, theory and modeling of atmospheric motions on all scales.

Thompson has been honored "for insightful analysis of the atmospheric circulation variability of importance to climate and weather."

"Dave’s research continues to chip away at our understanding of global climate change through observational data – a critical component for improving weather and climate forecasting," said Dick Johnson, chairman of the Department of Atmospheric Science, a Program of Research and Scholarly Excellence at Colorado State.

Thompson’s research interests include large-scale atmospheric dynamics – how the large-scale atmosphere organizes itself into patterns and how those patterns affect climate variability and ocean-atmosphere interactions. His recent publications have contributed to improved understanding of large-scale modes of month-to-month variability in the atmosphere and the signature of these modes in recent climate trends.

"I feel lucky to have had some great mentors and to work in such a strong and supportive department," Thompson said.

In 2006, the university honored Thompson with the Monfort Professor Award, one of the university’s top honors, and Popular Science named Thompson as one of the "brilliant 10" young scientists to watch. In 2005, Time magazine named Thompson one of the leading innovators in the science community. He has also received the American Geophysical Union’s James B. Macelwane Medal, which recognizes significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist. His many other honors include the NASA Earth System Science Fellowship, an NSF CAREER award and the NOAA OAR Outstanding Scientific Paper Award.

Thompson has published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles in publications such as Science Magazine, Physics Today and the Journal of Climate. Some of his work has additionally received national media attention in such publications as National Geographic, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

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