Rate My Professor James Shepherd

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.