Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council. His research in atmospheric chemistry, climate change and energy has shaped science and environmental policy at the highest levels nationally and internationally.

Dr. Cicerone is the recipient of several honorary degrees and many awards for his scientific work. Among the latter, the Franklin Institute recognized his fundamental contributions to the understanding of greenhouse gases and ozone depletion by selecting him as the 1999 laureate for the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science. One of the most prestigious American awards in science, the award also recognized his public policy leadership in protecting the global environment. In 2001, he led a National Academy of Sciences study of the current state of climate change and its impact on the environment and human health, requested by President George W. Bush. The American Geophysical Union awarded Dr. Cicerone its James B. Macelwane Award in 1979 for outstanding contributions to geophysics by a young scientist and its 2002 Roger Revelle Medal for outstanding research contributions to the understanding of earth's atmospheric processes, biogeochemical cycles, and other key elements of the climate system. In 2004, the World Cultural Council honored him with the Albert Einstein World Award in Science. In addition to the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Cicerone is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Korean Academy of Science and Technology. He has served as president of the American Geophysical Union, the world's largest society of earth scientists.

Make sure to add the rest of the Chancellor's Colloquium Distinguished Speaker Series to your calendar.

Invitations will be sent a few weeks prior to each event.

If you wish to be added to the email invitation list, please contact us at

(530) 754-2262 or eventrsvp@ucdavis.edu.

Michael Dukakis

Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 - 4 p.m.  

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Mr. Dukakis served an unprecedented three, four-year terms as governor of Massachusetts and was the 1988 Democratic nominee for president. Since leaving office, he has served as a visiting professor at many colleges and universities including Harvard University, University of Hawaii, Northeastern University and UCLA.

Subra Suresh

Wednesday, Apr. 25, 2012 - 4p.m. 

Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Dr. Suresh, a distinguished engineer and professor, is the director of the National Science Foundation and leads the only federal agency charged with advancing all fields of fundamental science and engineering research and education. He oversees the NSF's $7-billion budget, directing programs and initiatives that keep the United States at the forefront of science and engineering.

Chuck Young

Wednesday, May 31, 2012 - 4 p.m.

Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts