Louis Uccellini

Louis is a globally renowned meteorologist, former Director of the National Weather Service, and a pioneer who identified very early on (1980s) that weather would become the way that we would see and understand climate change.  It was not until 2019 that the National Climate Assessment linked very clearly weather, water and climate.  We are very honored to have Louis join us to help with the integration of weather-climate and nature with our digital twin and indicators.

Louis held several senior leadership roles at the National Weather Service, including Chief of the Meteorological Operations Division, Director of the Office of Meteorology, and Director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, before becoming Director of the NWS.

During his tenure as NWS Director, he worked to improve relationships with emergency management through Impact-Based Decision Support Services, restructured the agency’s budget, and promoted the Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Program. He also emphasized applying research directly to operational forecasting.

He began his career at NASA’s Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, where he headed the Mesoscale Analysis and Modeling Section of the Severe Storm Branch.

In 2022, Louis received the Distinguished Career Award in Professional Achievement, which cited his “extraordinary dedication to preparing the public for and protecting the country against extreme weather, water, and climate events through an illustrious 43-year career in public service, and working tirelessly to build a Weather-Ready Nation by leading the National Weather Service to provide crucial, life-saving Impact-based Decision Support Service in support of every community.”

Additional honors include the Maryland Academy of Sciences Distinguished Young Scientist Award (1981), NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (1985), the National Weather Association Research Achievement Award (1996), and multiple U.S. Presidential Rank Awards.

He received his Ph.D., master’s, and bachelor’s degrees in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.