By ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Shelby G. Tilford, former NASA Assistant Administrator for Mission to Planet Earth and founding board member of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, will receive the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 14(th) National Conference and Global Forum on Science, Policy, and the Environment. Tilford will be honored along with four others who played a major role in the initial development and founding of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).
"In bringing the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program into existence, Shelby Tilford and his counterparts at other agencies launched one of the most significant science initiatives ever to address the most significant environmental challenges ever," says Dr. Peter Saundry, Executive Director of the National Council for Science and the Environment. "If humanity ultimately averts the most dire consequences of climate change, it will be thanks in large part of the foresight of Shelby and his colleagues."
Tilford will be joined by fellow awardees: Dr. Robert W. Corell, Principal at the Global Environment Technology Foundation; Dr. Jack D. Fellows, Director of the Climate Change Science Institute at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Dr. J. Michael Hall, former Director of the Office of Global Programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and Dr. Aristides A.N. Patrinos, Deputy Director for Research and Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the New York University Center for Urban Science and Progress.
"We are incredibly proud of and grateful to Shelby for the immense contributions he has made inside and outside of the government." said Nancy Colleton, President, IGES. "To have him honored along with Drs. Corell, Fellows, Patrinos, and Hall is truly special. This was a group of leaders who realized their strength in numbers - and not just OMB numbers! It says a great deal about teamwork and cooperation."
The USGCRP, established by Presidential initiative in 1989 and mandated by Congress in 1990 as part of the Global Change Research Act, is a collaborative effort to organize and coordinate climate research across 13 federal agencies. With an annual budget of $2.5 billion, the program leverages interagency partnerships, working groups, and collaborations with leading experts to advance climate science and understanding of how changes in Earth's climate impact our society. The work of the awardees has contributed to making the USGCRP one of the most significant scientific enterprises in history.
The awards ceremony is scheduled as part of the NCSE Annual Conference at 5:30pm EST on January 29, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.
ABOUT IGES
Located in Arlington, Va., IGES was established in 1994 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supported by public and private entities. IGES is a trusted leader in Earth and space science education, communication and outreach, and in fostering national and international cooperation in observing the Earth.
SOURCE Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
