The 30th annual Judge Frank M. Coffin Lecture on Law and Public Service
was presented by Dr. Paul Andrew Mayewski on October 27th, 2022. His
talk was titled “Climate Perspective in A Rapidly Changing World.”
Dr. Paul Andrew Mayewski is an internationally acclaimed glaciologist,
climate scientist, polar explorer and director of the multidisciplinary
Climate Change Institute and University of Maine Distinguished
Professor. He has thus far led more than 60 expeditions to the remotest
polar and high elevation reaches of the planet and has received many
prestigious national and international awards including, for example,
the Inaugural Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research from a field of
45 countries and all disciplines, the Explorers Club Lowell Thomas
Medal, the highest award in the field of glaciology, the European Union
Oeschger Award, an honorary PhD from Stockholm University, and fellow in
many organizations – for his contributions to science including the
discovery of abrupt climate change driven by atmospheric circulation,
human impacts on the chemistry of the atmosphere, impacts of climate
change on humans and the ecosystem and for achievements in exploration
into uncharted regions of Antarctica, including thousands of kilometers
of polar traversing and numerous first ascents of mountains all to gain
scientific knowledge.
Paul is the first person to develop and lead prominent
multi-disciplinary climate research programs at the three poles
(Greenland (25 US institutions), the International Trans Antarctic
Expedition (21 countries) and the Himalayas/Tibetan Plateau (most
recently the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Mt. Everest
Expedition – 34 international researchers). He has more than 500
scientific publications, hundreds of popular and scientific lectures
worldwide, two popular books “The Ice Chronicles” and “Journey Into
Climate”, and has appeared hundreds of times in media such as: the New
York and LA Times, NOVA, NPR, BBC, multiple CBS 60 Minutes shows and the
Emmy Award Winning “Years of Living Dangerously”.
