Professor Maria Tzortziou Appointed to Serve as a Lead Author for the Third Decadal U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan

The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program, the Third Decadal Plan Lead Author Selection Committee and the UCAR Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) selected CUNY CREST’s Research and Application Pillar’s Director, Professor Maria Tzortziou to serve as one of the Co-Lead Authors for the Third Decadal U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan. Author nominations were requested from members of the US carbon cycle science community with lead authors recommended by the Third Decadal Lead Author Selection Committee.

The Third Decadal U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan is intended to provide guidance for U.S. research efforts on the global carbon cycle for the next decade. The Plan will identify which overarching questions highlighted in previous Carbon Cycle Science Planning documents have been adequately resolved over the past decade and those that still need to be addressed and will propose new directions for the community, especially in light of new and emerging U.S. government priorities and international assessments and agreements (e.g., UNFCCC Paris Climate Agreement). The Lead Authors will guide the activities of the Third Decadal Plan Author Working Group to develop a new science plan for U.S. carbon cycle science, identify challenges and priorities for the next decade (2025-2035), and engage the broader community.

Commenting on the achievement, Professor Tzortziou said, “It is such an honor to be invited to help guide this effort. I look forward to working with the carbon cycle science community to identify priorities for carbon cycle research for the next decade, including needs for new investment and research infrastructure to address critical uncertainties in global climate change predictions. A key consideration in these efforts will be the needs of policy makers and resources managers for decision support related to carbon management and climate change mitigation.”