Atmospheric Scientist
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Warren Washington helped pioneer the field of atmospheric computer modeling. Born in Portland, Oregon, Washington earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in meteorology from Oregon State University. After completing his doctorate in meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, he joined the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, in 1963. There, he specialized in computer modeling of the earth’s climate and has helped foster awareness of global climate change. Now, Washington is a senior scientist and head of the Climate Change Research Section in the Climate and Global Dynamics Division at the NCAR.
Washington has served on the President’s National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere and the National Science Board. He has won many awards, including the Dr. Charles Anderson Award from the American Meteorological Society “for pioneering efforts as a mentor and passionate support of individuals, educational programs, and outreach initiatives designed to foster a diverse population of atmospheric scientists.” He has published more than 100 papers in professional journals, and his book, An Introduction to Three-Dimensional Climate Modeling (co-authored with NASA’s Claire Parkinson) is a reference on climate modeling.