The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has named the Department of Chemistry’s Professor Jonathan Abbatt the recipient of this year’s Jacob Bjerknes Lecture.
This honour recognizes a scientist who has “made a major scientific impact in advancing the basic understanding of the atmosphere and Earth’s climate.” It is named after Jacob Aall Bonnevie Bjerknes (1897-1975) to honour his life and work in meteorology.
Abbatt is invited to deliver this lecture at the annual AGU’s Fall Meeting. It will take place from December 11th to 15th, 2023, with an online and in-person event in San Francisco, United States of America.
Abbatt is an internationally recognized leader in atmospheric chemistry. He established and spearheaded the Network on Climate and Aerosols (NETCARE). This international team conducted field campaigns to examine the role of aerosol particles in remote Canadian environments, particularly in the Arctic. Notably, this work can help policymakers prepare and alleviate climate change in the Arctic. He has received several awards and grants for his leadership in NETCARE, namely the Killam Fellowship (2015) and the NSERC’s Brockhouse Canada Prize (2020). In addition to his fieldwork, Abbatt has developed several innovative experimental approaches. He has published over 280 highly cited peer-reviewed papers, advancing various research areas in atmospheric chemistry, such as multiphase chemistry and cloud nucleation. For over 30 years, Abbatt’s research achievements have revealed critical findings about climate change and environmental sciences.
Currently, Abbatt is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the AGU. He has received several awards and honours, including the JJ Berry Smith Award for Doctoral Supervision (2023) and the Chemical Institute of Canada Medal (2020).