2027AwardWinner
Across AMS
Isha Renta López: Lifting as She Climbs
For Isha M. Renta López, mentorship is about more than sharing professional advice. It is about opening doors, recognizing barriers, creating opportunities, and helping others find their place in the atmospheric sciences. That commitment has earned Renta López the 2027 Robert H. and Joanne Simpson Mentorship Award, recognizing her tireless efforts to mentor early-career scientists and expand STEM access for Hispanic and Latino communities through innovative science communication and impactful community engagement.
Across AMS
Connecting Air Quality, Climate, and Health
For Jeffrey Pierce, the path to becoming an atmospheric scientist was not entirely planned. It began with an interest in math and science, an influential chemistry teacher, and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Northeastern University. It was during graduate school, when he discovered research on air pollution at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), that his scientific direction became clear. “I found out that some of the professors there worked on air pollution, and right away, I knew I wanted to work with them,” Pierce said. That decision launched a career focused on the complex interactions between atmospheric particulate matter, air quality, climate, and human health. Pierce is the recipient of the Walter Orr Roberts Lectureship, recognized for highly impactful, policy-relevant interdisciplinary research on the influence of atmospheric particulate matter on air quality, climate, and human health.
Across AMS
Suomi Medal Honors Christian Kummerow
Christian Kummerow of Colorado State University has been named the recipient of the 2027 AMS Verner E. Suomi Technology Medal for pioneering advances in satellite microwave remote sensing of precipitation, which have transformed global water cycle observations and applications for weather, hydrology, and climate science.
Across AMS
Jennifer Small Griswold: Inspiring the Next Generation
For Jennifer D. Small Griswold, teaching atmospheric science has always been about more than conveying scientific knowledge. It is about helping students discover their curiosity, recognize their potential, and find their path into the field. That philosophy is at the heart of her work and a central reason she has been selected to receive the 2027 Edward N. Lorenz Teaching Excellence Award.
