Each year, the American Meteorological Society recognizes outstanding contributions to the weather, water, and climate community by individuals and organizations. The Society–which encompasses researchers, broadcast meteorologists, forecasters, social scientists, and more–today announces its 2027 Awards and Honors . Recipients will be honored at the 107th AMS Annual Meeting in Denver, 10–14 January 2027.
“AMS awards help to build community by recognizing outstanding people from across the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise who have made a positive difference in the world,” says AMS Past President David Stensrud, chair of the AMS Awards Oversight Committee. “This celebration also highlights the many important roles that are foundational to our continued success in serving society: fundamental and applied research, public engagement and communication, teaching and mentorship, and informed decision-making. In a time of rapid change and upheaval, the work of the awardees and their peers reminds us that our work is essential for a thriving world. Please join me in congratulating this year’s awardees! I also want to thank everyone who submitted an award nomination and our volunteer Awards Oversight Committee members.”
Read about the AMS honorees for 2027 below.
AMS Honorary Members are “persons of acknowledged preeminence in the atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences, either through their own contributions to the sciences or their application or through furtherance of the advance of those sciences in some other way.” The following people are named AMS Honorary Members:
THE CARL-GUSTAF ROSSBY RESEARCH MEDAL
Awarded to Rong Fu , for pioneering observational insights into the atmospheric water cycle and land-atmosphere coupling, advancing understanding of precipitation, drought, and fire weather, showing exceptional scientific leadership.
THE HENRY STOMMEL RESEARCH MEDAL
Awarded to Paola Cessi , for distinguished work advancing our fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the large-scale ocean meridional overturning circulation and its role in climate.
Awarded to Sharon Nicholson , for fundamental contributions to the understanding of dryland hydroclimatology, especially in Africa, and dedicated involvement with scientists and organizations worldwide.
THE SVERDRUP GOLD MEDAL
Awarded to Renhe Zhang , for fundamental contributions to understanding Asian monsoon variability in connection with ocean-atmosphere interactions in the Northwest Pacific and coupled modes such as ENSO .
THE VERNER E. SUOMI TECHNOLOGY MEDAL
Awarded to Christian Kummerow , for pioneering advances in satellite microwave remote sensing of precipitation, which have transformed global water cycle observations and applications for weather, hydrology, and climate science.
Awarded to David Thompson , for improved understanding of modes of climate variability, the role of the stratosphere in global change, and the accuracy of observed temperature records.
THE WARREN WASHINGTON RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP MEDAL
Awarded to Venkatachalam Ramaswamy , for original and highly influential research providing fundamental insights into radiation-climate interactions and for visionary leadership as director of NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.
THE JAGADISH SHUKLA EARTH SYSTEM PREDICTABILITY PRIZE
Awarded to Xin-Zhong Liang , for enabling actionable decision support by pioneering advances in regional Earth system modeling, hydroclimate predictability, and integrated human-Earth system prediction.
THE CHARLES FRANKLIN BROOKS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE SOCIETY
Awarded to Jeff Waldstreicher , in recognition of two decades of innovation and exemplary service as Chair of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 's Editorial Board.
THE CLEVELAND ABBE AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE ATMOSPHERIC AND RELATED SCIENCES
Awarded to Eric DeWeaver , for two decades of distinguished leadership of NSF's Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics Program, sustaining community modeling, observing systems, and generations of scientists.
Awarded to Jim Mather for exceptional, sustained service that has strengthened the infrastructure, integrity, accessibility, and scientific impact of one of the atmospheric sciences’ most important observational user facilities.
THE EDWARD N. LORENZ TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Awarded to Jennifer D. Small Griswold , for visionary, inclusive, innovative teaching that bridges atmospheric science with culture, place, and community, and for sustained mentorship that empowers students across disciplines and backgrounds..
THE ROBERT H. AND JOANNE SIMPSON MENTORSHIP AWARD
Awarded to Isha Renta López , for tireless commitment to mentoring early-career scientists and expanding STEM access for Hispanic/Latin communities through innovative science communication and impactful community engagement.
Awarded to Peter Van Oevelen , for distinguished leadership of the International GEWEX Project Office, bridging weather, water, and climate communities and fostering inclusive, global collaboration across Earth system sciences.
THE JOANNE SIMPSON TROPICAL METEOROLOGY RESEARCH AWARD
Awarded to David Nolan , for significant scholarship using theory, field measurements, and modeling that has advanced the fundamental understanding of hurricane dynamics and improved hurricane forecast operations.
THE SYUKURO MANABE CLIMATE RESEARCH AWARD
Awarded to John Mitchell , for the groundbreaking development and use of climate models to assess the role of greenhouse gases and aerosols in human-caused climate change.
THE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE ADVANCE OF APPLIED METEOROLOGY
Awarded to Sara Pryor , for outstanding contributions to actionable research, leadership, international collaborations, and mentorship that have helped to advance the field of renewable energy.
THE HENRY T. HARRISON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS BY A CONSULTING METEOROLOGIST
Awarded to Wayne Sand, CCM , for over 60 years of advancing aviation meteorology, forensic consulting, and safety through research, mentorship, and exceptional operational expertise.
Awarded to Mona Behl , for exceptional leadership in advancing diversity and equity through systemic organizational change, dedicated mentorship, and unwavering advocacy for underrepresented voices in the geosciences.
Awarded to Shiguang Miao , for pioneering contributions to urban meteorology, climate science, and numerical modeling that have advanced forecasting, disaster risk reduction, and resilience.
THE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOMETEOROLOGY
Awarded to Claudia Wagner-Riddle , for groundbreaking contributions toward our understanding of the processes that regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from agroecosystems.
THE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOUNDARY-LAYER METEOROLOGY
Awarded to John Albertson , for groundbreaking research connecting fundamental turbulence physics with critical environmental challenges using theory, numerical simulations, and field experiments.
THE FRANCIS W. REICHELDERFER AWARD
Awarded to the National Weather Service AI Language Translation Program Team for pioneering the NWS's first AI-powered multilingual weather translation system, expanding life-saving weather information to millions of people.
THE JUNE BACON-BERCEY AWARD FOR BROADCAST METEOROLOGY
Awarded to Jay Trobec , for three decades of exemplary service and global leadership advancing broadcast meteorology across borders and generations.
THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE REPORTING BY A BROADCAST METEOROLOGIST
Awarded to Drew Anderson , for excellence as a station scientist, illuminating the science behind current events from earthquakes to auroras, with clarity, curiosity, and engaging storytelling.
THE CLARENCE LEROY MEISINGER AWARD
Awarded to Ángel Adames Corraliza , for innovative and impactful contributions to the development of moisture mode theory that has advanced fundamental understanding of tropical dynamics.
THE AWARD FOR EARLY-CAREER PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
Awarded to Aaron Piña , a transformative early-career leader who effectively bridges science, policy, and community service, having a positive impact on the AMS community.
THE NICHOLAS P. FOFONOFF AWARD
Awarded to Zhiwei Zhang , for outstanding contributions to our understanding of submesoscale-to-mesoscale ocean dynamics by integrating observations, theory, and modeling.
Awarded to Karen McKinnon , for contributions to understanding how internal variability and land-atmosphere feedbacks shape temperature and precipitation extremes in a changing climate.
THE AWARD FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL SPECIFIC PREDICTION
Awarded to the National Weather Service Paducah, KY , for exceptional, life-saving forecasts of historic high-impact weather events in Spring 2025.
Awarded to Jason Sippel for outstanding leadership and long-term dedication to improving hurricane forecasting by advancing and optimizing the use of reconnaissance observations in NOAA operations.
LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Awarded to the Farthest North Chapter of the AMS , for serving as a hub for weather and climate engagement, linking students, professionals, and communities in the pursuit of safety, knowledge, and collaboration.
LOCAL STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Awarded to the CU Boulder American Meteorological Society Chapter (CUBAMS) , for cultivating lasting student networks, leading impactful community outreach, and establishing a strong, visible presence throughout the American Meteorological Society.
The Society’s lectureships recognize outstanding midcareer scientists. Lectures will be delivered at AMS meetings in 2027.
THE WALTER ORR ROBERTS LECTURER : Jeffrey Pierce
For highly impactful, policy-relevant interdisciplinary research on the influence of atmospheric particulate matter on air quality, climate, and human health.
THE ROBERT E. HORTON LECTURER IN HYDROLOGY : Ashok Mishra
For pioneering contributions that have advanced knowledge of drought migration and propagation, and its impacts on water security.
THE BERNHARD HAURWITZ MEMORIAL LECTURER : Daniela Domeisen
For foundational contributions to understanding the dynamics of stratosphere-troposphere coupling and its implications for subseasonal weather and climate prediction.
Special Award to the National Lightning Safety Council for 25 years of dedicated public education and advocacy, saving countless lives by significantly reducing lightning fatalities nationally and globally .
The Editor’s Award is given to an individual for outstanding service to the AMS journals , the Glossary of Meteorology , and the Meteorological Monographs. Services may include providing exceptional reviews in a timely fashion, providing consistently helpful reviews, or providing reviews of difficult submissions, as well as other assistance to the publication. Editor’s award winners for 2027 are:
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Sciences
Antonios Mamalakis
Earth Interactions
Patricia Parker
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Daniel J. Cecil
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology AND Monthly Weather Review
Jana Houser
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Journal of Climate
Renguang Wu
Yujia You
Journal of Hydrometeorology
Veljko Petković
Journal of Physical Oceanography
Delphine Hypolite
Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
Gleb Panteleev
Monthly Weather Review
Bowen Zhou
Monthly Weather Review AND Weather and Forecasting
Keith Sherburn
Weather and Forecasting
Victor Gensini
Cross-Journal
Pete Finocchio
AMS Fellows are elected by the AMS Council based on “outstanding contributions to the atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences or their applications during a substantial period of years." New AMS Fellows in 2027 are:
Learn more about AMS Awards and Honors here . View this year’s awardees online here .
The American Meteorological Society advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of around 12,000 professionals, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes 12 atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic science journals—in print and online; sponsors more than 12 conferences annually; and offers numerous programs and services. Visit us at https://www.ametsoc.org/ .