J. Marshall Shepherd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
J. Marshall Shepherd
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| Born | |
| Alma mater | Florida State University |
| Awards | Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Media Achievement Award from the Association of American Geographers AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science NCSE Friend of the Planet Award (2021) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Meteorology, atmospheric sciences |
| Institutions | University of Georgia |
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| Doctoral advisor | Peter S. Ray |
Dr. James Marshall Shepherd is a famous American meteorologist. He teaches at the University of Georgia and leads their atmospheric sciences program. He was also the president of the American Meteorological Society in 2013. In 2020, he won an award for sharing science with the public. In 2021, he became a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
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Early Life and Education
Shepherd grew up in Canton, Georgia. He first became interested in meteorology, the study of weather, when he was in sixth grade. He had planned to do a science project about bees. However, he changed his mind and decided to study the weather instead. This happened after he found out he was allergic to bees!
He went to Florida State University (FSU). He earned three degrees there in physical meteorology. He received his bachelor's degree in 1991, his master's in 1993, and his Ph.D. in 1999. He was the first African-American person to get a Ph.D. in meteorology from FSU.
Scientific Career
Dr. Shepherd worked as a research meteorologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for twelve years. In 2006, he joined the geography department at the University of Georgia. He also served on the NOAA Science Advisory Board.
In 2014, he received the Captain Planet award. This award recognized his important work in climate science. He also helps people understand global climate change. Dr. Shepherd writes for both Forbes and Weather Underground. He was the President of the American Meteorological Society in 2013.
Views on Climate and Society
Dr. Shepherd has written about how global warming can affect different groups of people. He has explained that African Americans might be more at risk from things like heat-related deaths. He also spoke about the United States federal government shutdown of 2013. He said it slowed down important research on climate models in the U.S. It also stopped members of the National Weather Service from going to a big weather conference.
Television Appearances
Dr. Shepherd has appeared on popular TV shows. He was on the Today Show and Larry King Live. Since July 2014, he has hosted "Weather Geeks." This is a talk show that airs on the Weather Channel. He also appeared on Face the Nation in 2014.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Shepherd has received many important awards for his work.
- In 2004, he received a NASA Presidential Early Career Award.
- In 2014, he won a Media Achievement Award from the Association of American Geographers.
- In 2019, he earned the American Geophysical Union's Climate Communication Prize.
- In 2020, he was awarded the AAAS Award for Public Engagement with Science. This award is for scientists who do a great job of sharing science with the public.
- In 2021, Dr. Shepherd made history at the University of Georgia. He became the first faculty member there to be elected to three major academies in one year. These were the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- In 2022, he was chosen as the SEC Professor of the Year.
