A.R. Ravishankara named University Distinguished Professor

A.R. “Ravi” Ravishankara has been named a University Distinguished Professor, the university’s highest honor for faculty.

Ravi joined CSU in January 2014 and holds joint appointments in the Chemistry and Atmospheric Science Departments. Ravi is the fifth Atmospheric Science faculty member to be named a University Distinguished Professor. Previous appointees are Tom Vonder Haar, Graeme Stephens, Dave Randall and Sonia Kreidenweis.

The CSU announcement of Ravi’s award states:

Ravishankara has had a long research career spanning both government and university positions. Over four decades, he has studied the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere as it relates to stratospheric ozone, climate change and regional air quality. His experiments have contributed to deciphering ozone layer depletion, and to quantifying the role of chemically active species that affect climate. His research has advanced our understanding of the formation, removal and properties of pollutants in the atmosphere.

Ravishankara joined the CSU faculty in 2014 after a lengthy career at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder. His Ph.D. in physical chemistry is from the University of Florida, and he also holds an M.Sc. in physical chemistry, and a B.Sc. in physics and chemistry, both from the University of Mysore, India.

Since his arrival at CSU, Ravishankara has contributed to new scientific directions in atmospheric chemistry, taking a leadership role in the Partnership for Air Quality, Climate and Health (PACH) and participating in the CSU Global Grand Challenge sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research. He has also actively contributed to the mentorship of students, postdocs and young faculty.

Ravishankara’s many honors include membership in the National Academy of Sciences, American Geophysical Union, Royal Society of Chemistry, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed research papers and has received awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Chemical Society, Department of Commerce, NOAA and the National Academy of Sciences.

“There are few faculty on the CSU campus that have achieved the scientific impact and world-wide recognition of Dr. Ravishankara,” wrote Department of Chemistry Chair Chuck Henry in his nomination letter. “He is a brilliant scientist and steadfast advocate for science who epitomizes the ideals of the UDP.”