Academician Kuo-Nan Liou will receive the 2012 Gold Medal from the International Radiation Commission (IRC), the organization recently announced. Academician Liou will receive the medal on August 8, 2012, during the IRC 2012 Symposium in Berlin, Germany. He will present his research the following day at the Topical Union Session.

        The IRC Gold Medal honors senior scientists who have made contributions of lasting significance to the field of radiation research and is awarded once every four years. The IRC, founded in 1896 is a global network of scientists engaged in research of atmospheric radiation and related disciplines under the auspices of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). The IRC is comprised of experts representing public and private institutions from 18 countries, who conduct research, establish priorities, promote international collaboration, and manage scientific symposia to showcase achievements in the field of atmospheric radiation science. Candidates for the awards are exclusively nominated by IRC elected committee members.

         Professor Liou is the founding Director of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, a research institute with a mission to study and develop projects on global climate change and its impact on regional climate and environment. His recent work focuses on radiative transfer and satellite remote sensing in mountain/snow regions and the deposition of black carbon and dust over these areas in association with surface temperature and snowmelt amplification and feedback.

         Professor Liou received his B.S. degree from National Taiwan University and a Ph.D. from New York University. After a 22-year career at the University of Utah, Dr. Liou joined UCLA in 1997. He served as Chair of the UCLA Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department from 2000-2004. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and, since 2006, Director of the Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering. Professor Liou has held joint appointments with the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department since 2003 and the Electrical Engineering Department since 2010.

        Among his numerous accolades, Professor Liou was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1999 and an Academician of Academia Sinica in 2004; he shared the Nobel Peace Prize as a member of IPCC in 2007, and was awarded the 2010 Biennial COSPAR William Nordberg Medal.

Related websites: