David Battisti
{{Infobox scientist
| name = David S. Battisti
| image =
| alt =
| caption = David S. Battisti, atmospheric scientist and climate expert
| birth_name = David Steven Battisti
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|1|1}}
| birth_place = United States
| fields = Atmospheric sciences, climate science, paleoclimate
| workplaces = University of Washington
| alma_mater = University of Washington (Ph.D.)
| known_for = Research on El Niño/Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, climate impacts on food security, Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses (ACDC)
| awards = Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal, Sustainability Science Award, Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
}}
David S. Battisti (born 1956) is an American atmospheric scientist and the Tamaki Endowed Chair of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. He is a leading expert in climate variability and its impacts on global food security. Battisti's research focuses on understanding interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, land, and sea ice, as well as their influence on seasonal to decadal climate variability and paleoclimate.
Early life and education
David Battisti was born in 1956 in the United States. He earned his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington in 1988. His doctoral research focused on large-scale atmosphere-ocean interactions.{{Cite web |title=David S. Battisti - Department of Atmospheric Sciences |url=https://atmos.uw.edu/faculty-and-research/core-faculty/david-battisti/ |website=University of Washington |access-date=April 2, 2025}}
Academic career
Battisti began his academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin before joining the University of Washington in 1990. He has served as director of the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) from 1997 to 2003 and as director of the Earth Initiative at the University of Washington from 2003 to 2006.{{Cite web |title=David S. Battisti - FSI Stanford |url=http://fse.fsi.stanford.edu/people/david_s_battisti |website=Stanford University |access-date=April 2, 2025}}
Battisti is also a Visiting Carnegie Centennial Professor in Scotland and a fellow at Stanford University's Food Security Institute.{{Cite web |title=World-leading climate expert to speak in St Andrews |url=https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/world-leading-climate-expert-to-speak-in-st-andrews/ |website=University of St Andrews |access-date=April 2, 2025}}
He helps organize the annual Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses (ACDC), a series of summer schools focused on cutting-edge climate research topics. These courses bring together graduate students and researchers from institutions such as the University of Bergen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Harvard University, and others.{{Cite web |title=Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses |url=https://www.uib.no/en/rs/acdc |website=University of Bergen |access-date=April 2, 2025}}
Research contributions
Battisti's research has significantly advanced understanding of climate variability and its impacts. His key contributions include:
- El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Investigating the physics behind ENSO events and improving forecasting models.
- Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO): Exploring its role in long-term climate variability.
- Paleoclimate: Studying abrupt climate changes during glacial periods.
- Food security: Assessing how climate variability affects global crop yields, with a focus on cereals like maize, wheat, rice, and soybeans.
He has published over 175 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and co-authored the book Atmospheric General Circulation.{{Cite web |title=Battisti - Biography |url=https://atmos.uw.edu/~david/bio.html |website=University of Washington |access-date=April 2, 2025}}
= Climate change and agriculture =
Battisti's recent work includes projections that rising temperatures could reduce global grain yields by up to 20% by mid-century due to increased heat stress in tropical and subtropical regions.{{Cite web |title=David S. Battisti speaks on climate's influence on crop production |url=https://jwafs.mit.edu/news/2018/david-s-battisti-speaks-climates-influence-crop-production |website=MIT J-WAFS |access-date=April 2, 2025}} His findings have informed policy discussions on food security under changing climatic conditions.
Awards and honors
Battisti has received numerous accolades for his contributions to atmospheric science:
- Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal (2021) – The highest honor from the American Meteorological Society.{{Cite web |url=https://ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/about-ams/ams-awards-honors/2021-awards-and-honors-recipients/ |title=2021 Awards and Honors Recipients |website=American Meteorological Society |access-date=April 2, 2025}}
- Sustainability Science Award – Ecological Society of America.
- Elected Fellow of:
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- American Geophysical Union
- American Meteorological Society
He has also received multiple teaching awards at the University of Washington for his excellence in mentoring students.
Legacy
David Battisti's work has had a profound impact on understanding climate dynamics and their societal implications. His interdisciplinary approach bridges atmospheric sciences with agriculture, making him a key figure in addressing global challenges related to food security.
External links
- [https://atmos.uw.edu/faculty-and-research/core-faculty/david-battisti/ Profile at University of Washington]
- [https://fse.fsi.stanford.edu/people/david_s_battisti Profile at Stanford University]
- [https://www.uib.no/en/rs/acdc Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses]
References
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Category:American atmospheric scientists
Category:University of Washington faculty
Category:University of Wisconsin faculty
Category:University of Washington alumni
Category:Fellows of the American Geophysical Union
Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences