Purdue News

December 15, 1990 Agee Named Head of Department West Lafayette, Ind. – Ernest M. Agee, professor of atmospheric science at Purdue University, has been named head of Purdue's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. His appointment, effective Dec. 16, was confirmed Saturday (12/15) by Purdue's Board of Trustees. Agee has served as co-acting head of the department since June. "Ernest Agee is a first-rate scientist who has, working closely with industry, provided a number of substantial advancements in the world of atmospheric science," said Kenneth L. Kliewer, dean of Purdue's School of Science. "I anticipate that the same determination and perspective that has brought him success in these scientific ventures will reflect itself in the leadership that he will bring to the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences." Agee joined the Purdue faculty in 1968 after graduating from the University of Missouri at Columbia with a doctorate in atmospheric science. He was promoted to associate professor in 1972 and to professor in 1978. A specialist in atmospheric science, meteorology and climatology, Agee has published more than 80 scientific papers in journals and professional publications, and is co-editor of a book on cloud dynamics. He is internationally recognized for his study of convective cloud systems, having accepted invitations for extended visits to the University of Hamburg, Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the University of Tokyo. Agee's work has been cited extensively by the news media, particularly his research on tornadoes and global climatic change. He has served as the U.S. representative at the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics meetings from 1980 to 1988, an appointment made by the National Academy of Sciences. He has also served as an elected trustee to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a 58 member-university consortium that manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. Agee is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society, and also holds memberships in the American Geophysical Union, the Meteorological Society of Japan and Sigma Xi Research Society. This year, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh. Note: Agee is a native of Richmond, Ky. His wife, the former Judith Lynn Hammond, is from Berea, Ky. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page