Alumnus Appointed Director of Climate Change Science Institute

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering alumnus Jack D. Fellows ('76, B.S., '78, M.S., '84, Ph.D.) has been appointed director of the Climate Change Science Institute (CCSI) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He will lead and continue to develop programs and strategic initiatives for ORNL in climate change science.

Fellows succeeds founding CCSI Director James J. Hack, who said Fellows "brings [to CCSI] decades of high-quality experience in developing and leading large programs and interacting at the highest levels across government agencies engaged in the study of the climate system."

"Jack Fellows is a welcome addition to our climate change science program," said ORNL Director Thom Mason in an Oak Ridge Today article. "His extensive experience in directing research and education programs, most recently as vice president for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, will be particularly valuable as CCSI moves forward in its work of advancing the understanding of the Earth system, describing the consequences of climate change, and evaluating and informing policy on the potential outcomes of responses to climate change."

Fellows experience as vice president for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and co-founder of the U.S. Global Change Research Program will help support CCSI, as the institute aims to provide knowledge that assists decision makers in assessing risks to infrastructure, the environment and human health, and to weigh the costs and benefits of related policies and practices.

Established in 2009, CCSI is comprised of more than 100 ORNL staff and post-graduate researchers who receive research funding in excess of $35 million per year. By moving his talents to the Oak Ridge, Tennessee institute, Fellows hopes to build on the existing strengths of the institute while enhancing their responsive climate adaptation activities.

For more information on the Climate Change Science Institute, visit their website.

Published November 7, 2013