Piers Sellers Prize 2020: winners announced

Generating new possibilities for climate change risk assessment and responses has earned a researcher the prestigious 2020 Piers Sellers Prize.

Dr Mach has been awarded the 2020 Piers Sellers Prize

Dr Katharine Mach, who has been awarded the 2020 Piers Sellers Prize

Dr Katharine Mach, who has made a world-leading contribution to solution-focused climate research, will receive the award during a virtual event in June.

She is currently Associate Professor at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and a faculty scholar at the UM Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. 

The award is bestowed annually in the name of Piers Sellers, the former astronaut, climate scientist and Leeds alumnus, by the Priestley International Centre for Climate at Leeds. This year, nominations were focused on the contribution of an up-and-coming researcher or research group.

Additionally, two postgraduate researchers at Leeds have been named winners of the Piers Sellers prize for exceptional PhD research, and will receive their awards during the same event.

The 2020 recipients are Oliver Grasham, from the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Bioenergy, and Harriet Thew, from the School of Earth and Environment.

The presentation on Wednesday 10 June will feature a keynote lecture from Dr Mach on integrative assessment of climate risks and adaptations in support of decision-making and policy. She will discuss recent work on climate and security, and on managed retreat – a particularly complicated form of adaptation.

The virtual event will also feature presentations from the PhD research prize winners, complemented by a physical event at Leeds, if feasible and appropriate.

You can register to attend online, and more details on each of the prize winners can be found on the Priestley Centre website.

Posted in: