Professor Hannah Cloke wins recognition for Research Impact.

Wednesday, 04 February 2015

Hannah with Professor Dame Julia Slingo DBE, Chief Scientist at the Met Office, Professor Duncan Wingham, Chief Executive of NERC and Professor Alan Thorpe, Director-General of ECMWF.

Professor Cloke, who works jointly in the Departments of Meteorology and of Geography and Environmental Science, was winner in the ‘early career researcher' category of the inaugural NERC Impact Awards in recognition of exceptional economic and/or societal impact within the UK and internationally. 

Professor Cloke has led a continuous programme of NERC-funded research aimed at furthering our understanding of flood risk. She has developed new techniques and methods to identify flood forecast uncertainty which help policymakers to make informed decisions on flood-preparation issues.  

Working with UK industry, and flood-forecasting agencies in the UK, Europe and Far East, she has brought about changes in decision-making practice, better flood warnings and a reduction in flood risk around the world.

During the winter flooding in England in 2014 she was a high-profile figure, making frequent appearances in print, online and broadcast media, and was seconded to government to advise the Chief Scientist and attend emergency response meetings at Downing Street.

Professor Cloke said: "I'm honoured and delighted to win this award. While I have always believed that our research could have a big impact on society, last year's floods in Somerset and on the Thames suddenly put flooding at the top of the political agenda.    While going to meetings in Whitehall and talking to the media was a long way away from my usual day-to-day routine, hopefully my small contribution helped to make a difference. In addition, the experience has helped to open up a number of new opportunities for my research and career."

The awards are designed to recognise and reward the contribution of NERC science to the UK's economy, society, wellbeing and international reputation. The winners were announced at a prize-giving ceremony in London on 27 January 2015, part of NERC's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Professor Steve Mithen, who also attended the ceremony, said "This is a personal triumph for Hannah and is a further recognition of the impact of Reading's environmental science research, as has recently been recognised within the REF results. Under Hannah's leadership, hydrological research has further grown as a distinctive strength within Reading environmental science portfolio and will play a key role in the University's future research agenda"