Ralph Cicerone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ralph Cicerone
|
|
|---|---|
Cicerone speaking at the NAS Building in 2013
|
|
| 21st President of the National Academy of Sciences | |
| In office 2005 – June 30, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Bruce Alberts |
| Succeeded by | Marcia McNutt |
| 4th Chancellor of the University of California, Irvine | |
| In office 1998–2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Laurel L. Wilkening |
| Succeeded by | Michael V. Drake |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ralph John Cicerone
May 2, 1943 New Castle, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | November 5, 2016 (aged 73) Short Hills, New Jersey, US |
| Alma mater | |
| Awards | Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2004) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Monte Carlo and Thomson-scatter plasma-line studies of ionospheric photoelectrons (1970) |
| Doctoral advisor | S. A. Bowhill |
Ralph John Cicerone (born May 2, 1943, died November 5, 2016) was an American scientist who studied the atmosphere. He also held important leadership roles. From 1998 to 2005, he was the leader (called Chancellor) of the University of California, Irvine. Then, from 2005 to 2016, he was the president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He was very well-known for his work on climate change and the chemistry of Earth's air. He was one of the first to warn about the serious dangers of climate change.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ralph Cicerone was born on May 2, 1943, in New Castle, Pennsylvania. His parents were Salvatore and Louise Cicerone. His father, who sold insurance, had parents who came from Italy.
Ralph was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1965. While at MIT, he was the captain of the school's baseball team. After MIT, he continued his studies and earned both his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois.
Career Highlights
Ralph Cicerone began his career as a research scientist at the University of Michigan. From 1971 to 1978, he also taught electrical and computer engineering there. In 1978, he moved to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. There, he worked as a research chemist.
In 1980, he became a senior scientist and director at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. He held this position until 1989. That year, he joined the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He became a professor of earth system science and even started the department.
Leadership at UCI
From 1989 to 1994, Ralph Cicerone led the Department of Earth System Science. After that, he became the Dean of Physical Sciences. In 1998, he was chosen to be the fourth Chancellor of UCI. He served as Chancellor until 2005.
National Academy of Sciences
In 2005, Ralph Cicerone left UCI to become the President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He retired from this important role in June 2016.
Climate Change Research
While he was Chancellor of UCI in 2001, Ralph Cicerone led a group of experts. This group was asked by President George W. Bush to study climate change. Their report clearly stated that "greenhouse gases are building up in Earth's atmosphere because of human activities." They also concluded that this is causing air and ocean temperatures to rise.
Other Important Roles
Ralph Cicerone was a member of many important groups. These included the Advisory Board for the USA Science and Engineering Festival. He was also a Foreign Member of the Royal Society and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He even served as president of the American Geophysical Union. This is the world's largest group of earth scientists.
Honors and Awards
Ralph Cicerone received many awards for his scientific work. In 1999, he won the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science. The American Geophysical Union gave him the James B. Macelwane Award in 1979. This was for his great contributions to geophysics as a young scientist. Later, in 2002, he received their Roger Revelle Medal. This award recognized his outstanding research on Earth's atmosphere and climate system. In 2004, the World Cultural Council honored him with the Albert Einstein World Award of Science.
Legacy at UC Irvine
Ralph Cicerone also helped bring back the baseball program at UC Irvine in 2002. This was while he was the university's Chancellor. In 2009, the baseball field at UC Irvine's Anteater Ballpark was named after him.
In 2009, Ralph Cicerone and his wife, Carol Cicerone, created a special fellowship at UCI. This endowment helps graduate students with their studies.
Personal Life
Ralph Cicerone was married to Carol M. Ogata Cicerone. She was a professor of cognitive sciences at UCI during their time there. They had one daughter and two grandchildren.
He loved baseball and played on the varsity team when he was in college at MIT.
Ralph Cicerone passed away unexpectedly at his home in Short Hills, New Jersey on November 5, 2016.
