NEON CEO Awarded Prestigious AGU Fellowship for 2010

Dr. Dave Schimel, CEO of NEON, has been named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union for 2010. The prestigious title, awarded to scientists who have attained acknowledged eminence in one or more areas of geophysical sciences, is only awarded to one in a thousand members of AGU in a given year.

AGU will formally induct Dr. Schimel as a Fellow at an honors ceremony during the December AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco.

“Dave has significantly advanced the study of land-atmosphere interactions and is one of the leading terrestrial biogeochemists of his generation. He contributes a clear understanding of science issues to a broad range of activities, such as science agenda setting, global assessments, editorial boards, and research programs,” said Jennifer Harden, a Project Chief at USGS and an AGU Fellow.

Dr. Schimel is one of the 2007 recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report. He has authored more than 150 papers on biogeochemistry climate impacts on ecosystems and the global carbon cycle.

Dennis Ojima, a senior research scientist at NREL, said, "Dave Schimel has been at the leading edge of earth system analysis since the late 1980’s. He has always been willing to serve in community activities to advance engagement among diverse communities and to communicate the essential aspects of scientific knowledge to decision makers, educators, and managers."

Dr. Schimel brings a wealth of relevant experience to his work at NEON; he served as a Senior Terrestrial Scientist in NCAR’s Climate and Global Dynamics Division for 16 years, and was Founding Co-Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry. He was appointed CEO of NEON in November 2006.