Rate My Professor Mike O’Sullivan

Dr. Mike O’Sullivan is a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Exeter, part of the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy. He joined the university in 2018 as a Postdoctoral Scientist and was appointed Lecturer in 2022. O’Sullivan holds a PhD in Terrestrial Carbon Cycling from the University of Leeds and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle and its coupling with environmental change, contributing to advancements in climate modelling and Earth system science.

O’Sullivan is a co-author of the annual Global Carbon Budget reports, including the highly cited 2023 edition published in Earth System Science Data. Key publications include 'Process-oriented analysis of dominant sources of uncertainty in the land carbon sink' (Nature Communications, 2022), 'Aerosol–light interactions reduce the carbon budget imbalance' (Environmental Research Letters, 2021), 'Evaluating nitrogen cycling in terrestrial biosphere models: a disconnect between the carbon and nitrogen cycles' (2023), 'The key role of forest disturbance in reconciling estimates of the northern carbon sink' (2024), and 'Assessing Model Predictions of Carbon Dynamics in Global Drylands' (2022). These works, with over 13,000 total citations, address uncertainties in land carbon sinks, biosphere modelling, aerosol effects, and regional carbon dynamics, influencing global climate assessments. He is affiliated with the Earth System Science research group, the Weather and Climate Science theme in Mathematics and Statistics, and the Exeter Climate Systems centre. O’Sullivan engages publicly on climate issues, offering expert analysis on COP conferences and fossil fuel emissions trends through media and the Global Carbon Budget Office.