Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences - Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Dr. Amy Clement earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Columbia College, and Ph.D. from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Columbia University, where she studied climate dynamics on multiple timescales, from the glacial period to future climate change. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France, she has been a faculty member at the Rosenstiel School since 2001, where she has helped to build a widely respected research group made up of faculty, research staff, and students. Clement also served as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies at the Rosenstiel School, overseeing a program with over 100 graduate students. Clement is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union. For her research, she was awarded the AMS Clarence Leroy Meisinger award, the AGU James B. Macelwane Medal, and the 2019 University of Miami Provost’s award for Scholarly Activity. Clement was also awarded the Rosenstiel School Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, a student-nominated award that is awarded to mentors who go above and beyond to ensure the success of their students.
Clement conducts experiments with climate models of varying complexity that allow her to deconstruct the mechanisms of climate change and understand their basic processes. This has led to revisions in our understanding of the role of the ocean and clouds in climate variability. Her most recent work has focused on Atlantic climate variability and predictability, including sea level rise and changes in extreme heat and rainfall. While her research expertise and main teaching and mentoring is in the physical aspects of climate, Dr. Clement has developed multi-disciplinary curricula on ‘Climate and Society,’ and has co-taught a graduate course on this topic since 2002. Most recently, Clement has been engaged in leading research and action on climate change adaptation in South Florida through a University of Miami ULINK interdisciplinary project on ‘Hyperlocalism: Transforming the Paradigm for Climate Adaptation,’ and through her role as co-director of the Resilient 305 Collaborative, member of the Board of Directors of Miami Waterkeeper, and Vice Chair of the City of Miami’s Climate Resilience advisory board.
Education
| B.A. Physics, Columbia College | |
| Ph.D. Earth and Environment Science, Columbia University | |
| Post Doctoral , University of Pierre and Marie Curie |
Career Summary
Clement earned her Bachelor’s degree.in Physics from Columbia College, and Ph.D. from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, both at Columbia University in New York. She did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France, and has been a faculty member at the Rosenstiel School since 2001. Clement has made a mark in her field by motivating scientists to think more about the role of the tropics in paleoclimate and encouraging them to simplify the climate system in order to better understand its fundamental processes.
Honors & Acknowledgements
Awards and Leadership Positions
Clement is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union. She was awarded the AMS Clarence Leroy Meisinger award, and the AGU James B. Macelwane Medal. In 2015, Clement was awarded the Rosenstiel School Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, a student-nominated award that is awarded to mentors who go above and beyond to ensure the success of their students.
Scientific Research
Clement studies the causes of climate change on all timescales, from glacial period to future climate change. Her research approach is to simplify the climate system as much as possible in order to better understand the fundamental mechanisms that influence climate. She does this using observational data and a hierarchy of climate models. Using experiments from a set of models with varying complexities allows Clement to deconstruct the mechanisms of climate change and understand their basic processes. Clement’s research generally focuses on the coupled atmosphere-ocean system, including the El Niño/Southern Oscillation and other modes of variability.
