WASHINGTON (Feb. 7) – Warren M. Washington, a recipient of the National Medal of Science, will present a public lecture, “Climate Change: Is it Real or a Hoax?” The lecture will be held at 11 a.m. in the School of Social Work Auditorium on Feb. 23 at 11 a.m.

Following the lecture, Washington will join a panel to discuss social, political and economic consequences of climate change. The panelists include Professor Marsha A. Echols, director of The World Food Law Institute; Gina Wood of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; and Michael Morgan, Ph.D., division director of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences at the National Science Foundation.

Washington is an internationally recognized expert on atmospheric science and climate research.  He is currently a senior scientist and chief scientist of the DOE/UCAR Cooperative Agreement at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the Climate Change Research Section in the center’s Climate and Global Dynamics Division.

President Obama awarded Washington the National Medal of Science in 2010. The honor is bestowed annually on those who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering.

The lecture and discussion are sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Associate Provost for Research, the Mellon Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Program and the Council of Main Campus Research Officers.

Washington specializes in computer modeling of earth’s climate. He has published nearly 200 papers in professional journals, garnered dozens of national and international awards and served as a science advisor to U.S. presidents.