2024 Annenberg Lecture: Dr. Marshall Shepherd

Cloudy With a Chance of Science: Using the Lens of Weather to Explain How Perceptions Are Shaped.

This event will take place in a hybrid format. For those that RSVP'd for the event please join us in Room 500. For those planning to join from their desk, please grab lunch from the Agora prior to logging onto the livestream. 

-RSVP's are required to join us in Room 500 since space is limited-

Watch the Livestream here

About the Event: 

Dr. Shepherd uses is his experience as an atmospheric scientist, professor, and public intellectual to discuss how perceptions about science are shaped. He uses contemporary events, scientific literature, and personal experiences to deliver a compelling yet accessible discussion for public audiences. Dr. Shepherd is routinely called by major media outlets, the White House, and Congress to share is expertise on weather or climate issues.

About the Speaker: 

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international weather-climate expert and is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia.  Dr. Shepherd was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS), the nation’s largest and oldest professional/science society in the atmospheric and related sciences. Dr. Shepherd serves as Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program, the Associate Director of Climate and Outreach for the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, and Full Professor in the Department of Geography where he was a previous Associate Department Head. In 2023, he was appointed Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Partnerships in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia. His areas of research include urban climate, hydrometeorological extremes, weather-climate risk, and innovative outreach strategies.

Dr. Shepherd is frequently sought as an expert on weather, climate, and remote sensing. He is also the host of The Weather Channel’s Award-Winning Weather Geeks, a pioneering TV talk show/podcast and a Senior Contributor to Forbes Magazine.  He routinely appears on CBS Face The Nation, NOVA, The Today Show, CNN, Fox News, The Weather Channel and several others. His 3 TED Talks have nearly 3 million viewers, and he is also frequently asked to advise key leaders at NASA, the White House, Congress, Department of Defense, and officials from foreign countries. In February 2013 and 2019, Dr. Shepherd briefed the U.S. Congress on climate change and extreme weather. He has also written several editorials for CNN, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and numerous other outlets and has been featured in Time Magazine, Popular Mechanics, and NPR Science Friday. He has nearly 100 peer-reviewed scholarly publications. Dr. Shepherd has attracted several millions of dollars in extramural research support from NASA, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. Forest Service and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Dr. Shepherd was also instrumental in leading the effort for UGA to become the 78th member of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

Dr. Shepherd received his B.S., M.S. and PhD in physical meteorology from Florida State University.  He was the first African American to receive a PhD from the Florida State University Department of Meteorology, one of the nation’s oldest and respected. He is also the 2nd African American to preside over the American Meteorological Society. He is a member of the AMS, American Geophysical Union, Association of American Geographers (AAG), Sigma Xi Research Honorary, Chi Epsilon Pi Meteorology Honorary, and Omicron Delta Kappa National Honorary. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and serves on various National Boards associated with his alma mater.  Dr. Shepherd co-authored a children’s book on weather and weather instruments called Dr. Fred’s Weather Watch and a book with his wife about life in COVID-19 Quarantine called 40 Days 40 Nights: Daily Tales (and Lessons) From A Suburban Home In Coronavirus Quarantine. His most recent book, The Race Awakening of 2020: A 6-Step Guide To Move Forward, was published in 2020. He is also the co-founder of the Alcova Elementary Weather Science Chat series that exposes K-5 students to world-class scientists. Dr. Shepherd is originally from Canton, Georgia.