Professor Sir Brian Hoskins elected American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Professor Sir Brian Hoskins
'I am delighted at this honour. It should be shared with all the staff and students I have had the pleasure of working with at Reading over the past 40 years'
Sir Brian Hoskins, Royal Society Research Professor & Professor of Meteorology at the University of Reading, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Sir Brian is one of only three British Fellows honoured, and one of only seven Fellows in the atmospheric and hydrospheric sciences.
The association, which awards the title to members who are selected by their peers, is an international not for profit organisation dedicated to advancing science around the world. It publishes the journal Science, which has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world.
Sir Brian has a degree and PhD in mathematics from the University of Cambridge and he spent several years in the USA before moving to Reading, where he became Professor and Head of the Department of Meteorology for six years.
For the 10 years up to September 2010 he held a Royal Society Research Professorship. His research is in weather and climate, in particular the understanding of atmospheric motion from frontal to planetary scales.
He became the first Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London in January 2008, and now shares his time between Imperial and the University of Reading.
His international roles have included being vice-chair of the Joint Scientific Committee for the World Climate Research Programme, President of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences and involvement in the 2007 IPCC international climate change assessment.
He has also had numerous UK roles, including playing a major part in the 2000 Report by The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution that first proposed a 60% target for UK carbon dioxide emission reduction by 2050, and is currently a member of the UK Committee on Climate Change. He is a member of the science academies of the UK, USA, China and Europe and has received a number of awards including the top prizes of the UK and US Meteorological Societies. He was knighted in 2007 for his services to the environment.
Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell said; "I am delighted to be able to congratulate Brian on his Fellowship. It is fitting that he has been elected by his peers for this prestigious award that recognises his contribution to science and to the public's understanding of science. Here at Reading he has been fundamental in making the Department of Meteorology one of the best in the world. He has made a major contribution to the development of environmental science world wide and is a valuable adviser to government, industry and society."
Sir Brian said: "I am delighted at this honour. It should be shared with all the staff and students I have had the pleasure of working with at Reading over the past 40 years."
Sir Brian will be officially awarded the distinction of Fellow at the AAAS annual meeting in February in Boston.