Susan Solomon, PhD

Susan Solomon is widely recognized as a leading scientific expert in the area of atmospheric research and is a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder. One of the leaders in the field of atmospheric chemistry, Solomon received this nation’s highest scientific honor, the National Medal of Science, for her work in linking manmade chlorofluorcarbons (CFCs) and the ozone hole over the Antarctic.

Solomon’s work has become a cornerstone in the scientific underpinning of international protocols to control CFCs and reduce the danger to mankind from the loss of the ozone layer. Her scientific papers have provided not only key measurements but also theoretical understanding of ozone destruction and the causes of the ozone hole in the Antarctic. Considered one of the world’s top experts on the ozone issue and its impact on environment, Solomon has testified before both Senate and House subcommittees. She shares the distinction of being the youngest woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences (at age 36 in 1992), and is also a Foreign Associate of both the French Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences. In addition, she is an avid history enthusiast and is the author of The Coldest March, which describes the issues associated with the failure of Captain Robert Scott’s 1911 expedition to Antarctica. A glacier in Antarctica is named after her.

Solomon’s work to unravel the mysteries of the Antarctic ozone hole has also helped scientists figure out the answers to the larger picture of global climate change. She has been one of the most important and influential researchers in atmospheric science during the past 15 years.