Cecilia M. Bitz is an American climatologist known for her research on
sea ice
Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice, which has an even lower density). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oce ...
and high-latitude climate change. She is a professor and chair in the Atmospheric Sciences Department, as well as the director of the Program on Climate Change at the
University of Washington. She was featured on
NPR's ''
All Things Considered'' segment to speak about factors that lead to sea ice loss in 2007, and testified before the United States
Senate committee of Energy and Natural Resources on arctic opportunities in 2015.
Early life and education
Cecilia Bitz was born in
Portland, Oregon on March 4, 1966. While she initially had an interest in physics, she discovered her passion for sea ice after reading a book on climate change, "Our Changing Atmosphere," by
John Firor. In 1988, she received her bachelor's degree in
Engineering Physics from
Oregon State University, and her master's degree in
Physics from the
University of Washington in 1990.
She completed her doctoral work in
Atmospheric Sciences
Atmospheric science is the study of the Earth's atmosphere and its various inner-working physical processes. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather forecasting. Climatology is the study of ...
at the University of Washington in 1997,
where she worked with
David S. Battisti to complete her dissertation on Natural Variability in the Arctic Climate using climate models.
Career and research
Since receiving her PhD, Cecilia Bitz has conducted research on sea ice mostly through
climate modeling and has contributed to over 100 refereed publications. She began teaching at the University of Washington in 2005, where she still teaches in the Atmospheric Sciences Department today.
In 2013–14, she was a
Fulbright Senior Scholar
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
to New Zealand.
In 2006, she co-published research that predicted abrupt and massive ice loss in the Arctic in the summer of 2007. She has introduced new methods for modeling sea ice as well as explained why Arctic sea ice thins rapidly with greenhouse warming. She currently co-leads the Sea Ice Prediction Network, which forecasts Arctic sea ice for shipping, military, and
Arctic indigenous peoples.
Awards and honors
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American Geophysical Union Fellow - 2018
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American Meteorological Society Fellow - 2015
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American Geophysical Union Ascent Award in Atmospheric Science - 2013
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Fulbright Scholar
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
Award to New Zealand - 2013
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Rosenstiel Award in Atmospheric Science and Oceanography - 2013
Publications
Cecilia Bitz has contributed to over 100 refereed publications. Some of her most influential works include:
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bitz, Cecilia
1966 births
Scientists from Portland, Oregon
Oregon State University alumni
Living people
American women scientists
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change contributing authors
21st-century American women