Dr. James J. McCarthy, board chair emeritus of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), will be presented the Tyler Prize for Environment Achievement in a ceremony in Washington D.C. on May 3, 2018.
Dr. McCarthy is the Alexander Agassiz professor of biological oceanography at Harvard University, and has participated in and led both national and international organizations aimed at addressing climate change. For the last 25 years, he has worked to bring groups of scientists together to bridge boundaries and explore exciting, new directions in science. Dr. McCarthy has also engaged scientists in developing countries to address the critical intersections of science and policy, making science more accessible to nonscientists. The International Geosphere Biosphere Programme, which played an important role in developing the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), of which Dr. McCarthy was co-chair in 2001, was developed under his leadership.
The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement was established by John and Alice Tyler in 1973, and is one of the first international premier awards for environmental science, environmental health and energy. Recipients encompass the spectrum of environmental concerns, including environmental policy; health; air and water pollution; ecosystem disruption and loss of biodiversity; and energy resources. The Prize is awarded by the international Tyler Prize Executive Committee with the administrative support of the University of Southern California.