OSU Climate Scientist will address winter graduates

COLUMBUS – Lonnie Thompson, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and research scientist with the Byrd Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University, has been selected to speak at Ohio State winter quarter commencement. About 1,500 students will receive degrees during the ceremony, which takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 21, at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Thompson unravels global climate histories dating back thousands of years by analyzing ice cores that he and his team have drilled from remote, mountaintop glaciers on five continents. Those discoveries have earned him numerous prizes and accolades.

Thompson shocked the public and scientific community alike in 2001 when he announced that the analysis of ice cores from high mountain glaciers in Africa and Peru showed that they were melting at an alarming rate - one that will likely lead to the loss of Kilimanjaro’s ice fields within the next 15 years.

This research involves the difficult and demanding work of climbing these high mountains, living there for weeks to recover the ice cores, and developing pioneering methods of extracting and preserving the cores during shipment back to Ohio State.

Thompson plans to tell graduates that there are similarities in the tasks of climbing mountains and beginning a new phase of life. “Sometimes when you start a new project, the task can seem very difficult,” said Thompson. “Our research group worked for years before we gained wide recognition. Whether you are climbing a mountain or starting a career, you have to stay focused, and be optimistic and persistent.”

A native of West Virginia, Thompson earned his B.S. degree from Marshall University in 1970, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology from The Ohio State University in 1973 and 1976, respectively.

The winter quarter commencement speaker is traditionally a member of the faculty. Ohio State Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Barbara Snyder, the university's chief academic officer, says Thompson will represent the faculty well.

“Professor Thompson is a wonderful choice for commencement speaker,” said Snyder. “He is an outstanding scientist who does exceptional research in extraordinary conditions. He is a leading international spokesperson on the subject of global climate change and one of the most respected voices in the world on related policy issues. I know that he will inspire our graduates.”

Over the last two decades, Thompson has led more than 45 expeditions to some of the most remote ice fields in the world, drilling through them to the bedrock, to retrieve ice cores that measure hundreds of meters long. In doing so, he has probably spent more time at locations above 20,000 feet than any other human.

The ice cores contain climate histories that extend back thousands of years. The oldest core analyzed dates back more than 700,000 years and contains evidence of four global-scale ice ages, much like the one that covered Columbus with a mile of ice 14,000 years ago. Understanding the pattern of changes in ancient climate provides critical insight to the changes that are occurring throughout the world today.

Thompson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2002 Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences and the 2002 Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service for Science and Invention. In 2001, he was named one of America's Best Scientists by Time magazine and the Cable News Network. Ohio State has designated him a Distinguished University Professor, the highest honor bestowed on faculty.

He is the author of more than 165 publications and recipient of more than 50 research grants.