UMass Amherst climate researcher Raymond Bradley receives high honor from Canadian Society

AMHERST, Mass. – Internationally recognized climate scientist and Distinguished Professor Raymond S. Bradley at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been elected an International Fellow in the Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Division of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for “major contributions to our understanding of the nature and causes of climate change.”

The society elects up to four international fellows per year who by their exceptionally distinguished intellectual accomplishments in the arts, humanities and sciences have helped promote the object of the Society in ways that have clear relevance for Canadian society, the society announced.

The citation reads, “Bradley is internationally recognized for his research on paleoclimatology, which has made major contributions to our understanding of the nature and causes of climate change. He has focused in particular on climate variations in the Arctic and North Atlantic region, spending many years doing fieldwork in the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and northern Scandinavia.”

He says, “This really means a great deal to me. I worked in the Canadian Arctic for many years and feel strongly connected to Canada, Canadian science and the people of the North.”

Prof. Julie Brigham-Grette, long-time chair of the geosciences department and a colleague of Bradley’s for many years, says, “We are proud of Ray Bradley’s accomplishments in Arctic research and this honor is a thrill for us as a department but also for UMass Amherst. It is also a ‘thank you’ to the U.S. National Science Foundation, which supported many decades of his research.” 

The 2019 new fellows will be welcomed into the RSC in November in Ottawa during its Celebration of Excellence and Engagement. RSC President Chad Gaffield says, “The Royal Society of Canada is extremely fortunate to welcome these exceptionally talented scholars, artists and scientists as new Members of the Society. They have made outstanding contributions to their fields and to Canada’s intellectual and artistic breadth, and are making a tremendously positive impact on the world. We recognize them for all that they have done, and indeed will continue to do, to advance scholarly and public life in Canada and around the world.”

The Royal Society of Canada was established in 1883 as Canada’s National Academy, the senior collegium of distinguished scholars, artists and scientists in the country. Its primary objective is to promote learning and research in the arts, humanities, and the natural and social sciences.