Doug Sisterson has spent most of his more than 40-year career at Argonne involved with climate science. He is currently the Instrument Operations Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (www​.arm​.gov/) and one of the founding members since its inception in 1990. The ARM Facility is a national scientific user facility and it is the largest federally-sponsored climate change research program in DOE. The ARM Facility provides the world’s most comprehensive 24/7 observational capabilities for obtaining atmospheric data specifically for climate change research.

Before turning to climate change, his experimental work covered fundamental boundary layer meteorology and micrometeorology, wet and dry removal processes, and pollutant transport in 1975–1980. His earliest work focused on wind energy. Studies between 1980 and 1990 emphasized the physical and chemical processes (including atmospheric lightning) that lead to acid precipitation. He was principal author of a cornerstone report: the State of Science Report for the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program in 1990. Since coming to Argonne in 1975, he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, and technical reports.

Doug has made well over 500 professional, educational, and public outreach presentations on a range of weather and climate topics. He addresses audiences in educational and public outreach environments ranging from middle school to university and graduate school classrooms, to businesses, to scientific forums, to TED talks. He has always had a fascination with severe weather and has participated in hail and lightning research programs and has even chased tornadoes with members of the National Severe Storms Laboratory tornado chase program. Doug has been interviewed for many radio and television shows about weather and climate. He is a co-author of a popular book (Darling and Sisterson 2014: How to Change Minds About Our Changing Climate) intended for general audiences debunking climate myths (that climate change is not real) using science-based evidence. The book was one of five finalists for Green Category for the Multiple Sclerosis Books For a Better Life Awards in 2015.

Doug received a BS in Physics from Muskingum University (1972) and an MS in Atmospheric Science from the University of Wyoming (1975). He received the University of Chicago Medal for Distinguished Performance at Argonne National Laboratory in 2011 and the Argonne National Laboratory Pinnacle of Education Award in 2012.

Education

• Atmospheric Sciences, M.S., University of Wyoming
• Physics, B.S., Muskingum College

Publications & Patents

• Authored or co-authored more than 100 research papers, conference proceedings & published reports.