The award honors achievements that go beyond what is recognized by traditional academic awards – particularly in the areas of societal impact, service to the research community, academic leadership, and talent development. Along with the award, which was presented on December 11, 2024, Eyring was also inducted into the prestigious group of AGU Fellows. The AGU (American Geophysical Union) is the world's largest academic association of geoscientists.
Eyring’s work focuses on improving climate models and projections with machine learning and spaceborne Earth observations for actionable climate science and technology assessments in aeronautics, space, transport, and energy research. The AGU recognised Eyring for her outstanding leadership in the climate science community, in particular for her pivotal role in leading the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) of the World Climate Research Programme. Under her leadership, CMIP has significantly contributed to a better understanding of climate change and provided essential foundations for decision-making in international climate policy.
The DLR scientist has also been involved in climate assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for many years and served, among other roles, as coordinating lead author of Chapter 3, “Human Influence on the Climate System,” in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report published in 2021. At the World Leaders Summit Opening Ceremony of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November 2022, Eyring represented the international research community and highlighted climate change, its consequences and causes, with an urgent call to decision-makers to take action.
Pioneering Research and Visionary Leadership
The AGU praised Eyring for her pioneering research and visionary leadership, her ability to inspire collaborations among diverse groups, and her unselfish commitment to the global climate community. According to the AGU, in their laudatory speech, the five recipients of the 2024 Ambassador Award "have transformed our understanding of the world, impacted our everyday lives, improved our communities, and contributed to solutions for a sustainable future."
In her acceptance speech, Eyring stated: "It remains an urgent challenge that these insights are acted upon. It is incumbent on all of us to deliver the best possible climate information to guide urgent mitigation and adaptation policies in a rapidly changing world.”
The award ceremony was held at the AGU24 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., USA, and was attended by 25,000 participants from over 100 countries.
About AGU
The American Geophysical Union AGU is a global community supporting more than half a million advocates and professionals in the Earth and space sciences. Through broad and inclusive partnerships, AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased, and respectful of communities and their values. AGU programs include serving as a scholarly publisher, convening virtual and in-person events, and providing career support. AGU’s values-driven initiatives include its net zero energy renovated building in Washington, D.C. and its Ethics and Equity Center, which fosters a diverse and inclusive geoscience community to ensure responsible conduct.
Further Information:
AGU: www.agu.org
AGU Ambassador Award: https://www.agu.org/honors/ambassador
WCRP Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP): WCRP Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)
Artificial intelligence and satellite data to improve climate projections (September 25, 2022): https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2024/artificial-intelligence-and-satellite-data-to-improve-climate-projections
COP27: Earth observation and climate modelling as important tools for monitoring and predicting climate change (November, 15, 2022): https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2022/04/cop27-earth-observation-climate-modelling-for-predicting-climate-change
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