Rate My Professor James Shepherd

James Marshall Shepherd serves as the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences and Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia, where his work advances geoscience research and education in weather and climate dynamics. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Physical Meteorology from Florida State University in 1999, becoming the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Meteorology from its Department of Meteorology. Shepherd began his career as a Research Meteorologist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for 12 years, including as Deputy Project Scientist for the Global Precipitation Measurement mission. At UGA, he joined the Department of Geography, earning tenure in 2010, promotion to Full Professor in 2011, appointment as Georgia Athletic Association Professor in 2013, and Distinguished Professor in 2014. Additional roles include Associate Department Head (2017-2018), SEC Academic Leadership Fellow (2016-2017), and current Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Partnerships in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

His research focuses on hydrometeorological extremes, urban climate, weather-climate risk, and societal applications of atmospheric sciences, using remote sensing, modeling, and risk assessment. A prominent leader, he presided as President of the American Meteorological Society in 2013, chaired the NASA Earth Science Advisory Committee (2017-2020), and edited the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology and Geography Compass. With nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications, notable works include Debbage and Shepherd (2015), 'The urban heat island effect and city contiguity,' Computers, Environment and Urban Systems; Shepherd and KC (2015), 'Climate Change and African Americans in the United States,' Geography Compass; contributions to National Research Council reports on urban meteorology (2012) and extreme weather attribution (2016); and the IPCC AR4 report (2007). He has authored three books, including the children’s book Dr. Fred’s Weather Watch. Major honors encompass the 2022 Southeastern Conference Professor of the Year; 2021 elections to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences—the only UGA faculty elected to all three simultaneously; 2020 Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science; 2019 AGU Climate Communication Prize; 2018 AMS Helmut Landsberg Award; and 2004 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Shepherd extends his impact via The Weather Channel’s Weather Geeks, Forbes contributions, TEDx talks, and the Georgia Climate Project.