Cecilia M. Bitz is an American climatologist known for her research on

sea ice Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less density, dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oceans. Much of the world' ...

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 The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

. She was featured on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'' 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 Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

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 John W. Firor (October 18, 1927 – November 5, 2007) was an American physicist. He was director of the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) from 1961 to 1968, and director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) from 1968 to 1974. ...

. In 1988, she received her bachelor's degree in

Engineering Physics Engineering physics (EP), sometimes engineering science, is the field of study combining pure science disciplines (such as physics, mathematics, chemistry or biology) and engineering disciplines (computer, nuclear, electrical, aerospace, medic ...

from

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

, and her master's degree in

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

from the

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 ...

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 model Numerical climate models (or climate system models) are mathematical models that can simulate the interactions of important drivers of climate. These drivers are the atmosphere, oceans, land surface and ice. Scientists use climate models to st ...

ing 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 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

* American Geophysical Union Fellow - 2018 *

American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is a scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance the atmosph ...

Fellow - 2015 *

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...

Ascent Award in Atmospheric Science - 2013 *

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 peopl ...

Award to New Zealand - 2013 *

Rosenstiel Award The Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research is awarded by Brandeis University. It was established in 1971 "as an expression of the conviction that educational institutions have an important role to play in the en ...

in Atmospheric Science and Oceanography - 2013

Publications

Cecilia Bitz has contributed to over 100 refereed publications. Some of her most influential works include: * * * * *

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