Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division
Staff Awards & Honors
July 2012
Hibbard and Skaggs Contribute to the National Climate Assessment
Congratulations to Dr. Kathy A. Hibbard and Dr. Richard Skaggs on receiving a commendation for their leadership on the technical report Climate and Energy-Water-Land System Interactions supporting the 2013 National Climate Assessment (NCA). Hibbard, a carbon cycle scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Skaggs, a PNNL hydrologist, co-led a collaboration of researchers from institutes, national laboratories, and universities, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The NCA is being conducted as part of the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The act requires a report to the U.S. President and Congress on the U.S. Global Change Research Program findings and analyses regarding the effects of the human trends and natural systems in global change. The report that Hibbard and Skaggs co-authored will provide key input to the NCA's cross-cutting chapter on water, energy, and land.
Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in letters to Hibbard and Skaggs, "The magnitude of your effort and the quality of this contribution is extraordinary. I commend you for your willingness to take on this difficult task."
Hibbard is an ecologist and carbon cycle scientist at PNNL. She is internationally recognized for her expertise concerning the consequences of human activities on the climate system. Hibbard's research and leadership span 26 years of work on terrestrial biogeochemical cycles and their effects on climatic and ecological systems. At PNNL, Hibbard has led and is now chief scientist for the integrated Regional Earth System Model initiative, a five-year laboratory investment in fundamental research capabilities. Hibbard holds a Ph.D. in Rangeland Ecology and Management from Texas A&M University. She has over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, reports, and book chapters, and more than 1600 citations since 1991.
Skaggs, a hydrologist with over 30 years at PNNL, has achieved national awards and recognition for his research. He is sought for his expertise and leadership in developing strategies and operations for emerging national and international water resource management needs. Among many key roles, he leads PNNL's effort to assess water resource management requirements for sustainable biofuel production with the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Biomass Program. Skaggs earned his doctorate degree in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University.
