Awards and
committees
Suomi received many honors during his scientific career. He was awarded the World Meteorological Organization's IMO [International Meteorological Organization] Prize; the National Medal of Sciences; Finland's first Walter Ahlstrom Prize; the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute (Philadelphia); Meisinger, Rossby, Losey, and Brooks awards from the American Meteorological Society (AMS); and awards from NASA and NOAA. On these and many other occasions Suomi humbly acknowledged the help of his colleagues and claimed that others deserved the credit. He was a member of the U.S. Academy of Engineering, the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, the Finnish Academy of Sciences (Helsinki), the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher, the International Academy of Astronautics (Paris), the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia), the Academy of Arts and Sciences (Boston), Phi Kappa Phi, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1968 he was elected president of both the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union's Atmospheric Science Section. He also served on many influential committees, many of them as a director.
Excerpted from EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, v. 76, no. 45, 1995. Posted with AGU permission.
Awards
1961 Meisinger Award, for Aerological research Achievements, by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) |
1965 Foreign Member, Finnish Academy of Sciences |
1966 Member, National Academy of Engineering, United States |
1968 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Award, American Meteorological Society
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1968 Chosen to be president of the American Meteorological Society
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1970 Foreign Member, Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher, Germany |
1971 Robert M. Losey Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the science of meteorology as applied to aeronautics, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) |
1974 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Public Service Group Achievement Award
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1975 Foreign Member, International Academy of Astronautics, France |
1976 Elected Member, American Philosophical Society
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1977 Elected Fellow, Academy of Arts and Sciences, United States |
1977 Harry Wexler Professorship of Meteorology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Article from Wisconsin State Journal, Sat. April 16 1977
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1977 National Medal of Science, National Science Foundation
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1980 Charles Franklin Brooks Award, for his many contributions of wisdom and leadership, both formal and informal, but especially as Councilor and President of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) |
1980 Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the Pioneer Venus Project, NASA
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1980 William T. Pecora Award, for outstanding application of remote sensing of the atmosphere, U.S. Geological Survey |
1980 Honorary Membership, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters |
1983 Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science for his major role in ushering in a new age of global weather observations, State University of New York-Albany |
1984 Franklin Medal for contributions and leadership in the broad field of atmospheric research, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1984 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Senior Distinguished Research Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
1985 Commemorative medal for his contributions to international programs in geophysics, Soviet Geophysical Committee |
1985 Silver medallion for outstanding pioneering contributions critical to the development of U.S. civil operational satellite systems and services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States |
1985 Listed in American Men & Women of Science
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1986 Listed in Who's Who in America |
1987 World Cultural Council certificate of recognition
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1988 Honorary Member, American Meteorological Society (AMS) |
1988 Nevada Medal (first recipient) Desert Research Institute |
1988 National Research Council Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems Certificate of Appreciation
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1990 Walter Ahlstrom Prize (first recipient) for his pioneering work in space-based remote sensing of the global environment, The Walter Ahlstrom Foundation, Finland |
1992 Honorary Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
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1992 NASA Earth Radiation Budget Experiment certificate of appreciation
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1993 38th International Meteorological Ogranization Prize for pioneering contributions as father of weather satellites, establishing the field of satellite meteorology, World Meteorological Organization
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1994 NESDIS Silver Medal Award
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1997 American Meteorological Society creates Verner Suomi Award
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2008 Listed in Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography |
Commmittees
The committees on which Dr. Suomi served are listed alphabetically by organization. Years in which Dr. Suomi served are given where known. Unless otherwise mentioned, committees are based in the United States.
American Academy of Arts and Sciences Council Nominating Committee, 1982-1984 |
American Meteorological Society President, 1968 Planning Commission, 1981-1985 Education and Manpower Commission, Ad Hoc Committee, 1985 |
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Working Group VI, Panel A on Weather and Climate, 1973-1974 |
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National Science Advisory Committee, 1989
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Global Atmospheric Research Program U.S. Committee for the Global Atmospheric Research Program, Chair, 1968-1974 |
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Interdepartmental Committee on Atmospheric Sciences (ICAS), Select Panel on Weather Modification, 1965 Geophysics Film Committee, 1981-1984 Committee on Science Engineering and Public Policy (COSEPUP), Research Briefing Panel on Atmospheric Sciences, 1982 |
National Advisory Committee on Ocean Atmosphere Chair, 1971
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration Science and Mission Requirements Working Group for System Z, 1983 Earth Observing System Science Steering Committee, 1984 NASA/University Relations in Space Science, Study Group, 1984 Space and Earth Sciences Advisory Committee, Task Force on the Scientific Uses of Space Station, 1984-1985 |
National Center for Atmospheric Research Chair, Panel on Scientific Use of Balloons, 1961-1964 |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Joint U.S./People's Republic of China Working Group on the Atmospheric Protocol, 1979-1981 |
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Geophysic Research Forum Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC), NOAA Review Panel Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Resources, BASC Panel on Climate-Related Data, 1982-1985 Space Applications Board, Committee on Practical Applications of Remote Sensing from Space, 1983-1984 |
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Advisory Panel on Weather Modification, 1959-1964 |
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Steering Committee, National STORM Program, 1981 Board of Trustees, 1982-1985 Board of Trustees Budget and Program Committee, 1986 Board of Trustees Executive Committee, Member-at-Large, 1986 UNIDATA Steering Committee UNIDATA, Local Hardware-Software System (LOHSS) Working Group, 1985 |
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Geophysical Institute, Advisory Board, 1984-1986 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison Library Committee, 1964-1966 (Chair, 1966) Dept. of Meteorology, Department Chair 1950-1952, 1954-1957 |
World Meteorological Organization Joint Scientific Committee Committee on Climatic Changes and the Ocean Working Group on Satellite Observing Systems for Climate Research, Chair, 1983-1985 |
