CCNY atmospheric scientist Jimmy Booth leads the Climate Lighthouse Project.
The Climate Lighthouse Project, an interdisciplinary venture led by City College of New York atmospheric scientist Jimmy Booth, is the recipient of a three-year $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to help communities bearing the brunt of climate change.
The funding is part of a $10 million DoE largesse to 10 innovative Climate Resilience Centers (CRCs) in 10 different states. These university-led research teams will leverage the world class modeling, data and research capabilities from DoE national laboratories customized for their local regions with a focus on climate prediction of weather hazard risks to better prepare communities. The CRCs are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative and are designed to ensure that all Americans are benefitting from scientific research.
CCNY’s Climate Lighthouse project will be a partnership with the two of DoE’s laboratories: Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The project is designed to help residents better prepare for extreme heat. The focus will be on translating DoE climate data into useable tools to improve the resilience of New York City residents. Information will be communicated to the public through community partnerships. The team will work closely with community partners to co-develop tools that can provide actionable knowledge among the public.
“This project will leverage existing DOE data, make new observations, and bring together a multi-disciplinary team. We are excited and grateful to have the opportunity to pursue this project,” said Booth.
His Climate Lighthouse Project team members include:
- Zihao Zhang, CCNY’s Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture;
- Yana Kucheva, CCNY’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership;
- Prathap Ramamurthy and Naresh Devineni, both CCNY Grove School of Engineering;
- Spencer Hill, CCNY Division of Science; and
- Rachael Piltch-Loeb, CUNY School of Public Health.
The project has two collaborators: Katia Lamer at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Bryce Harrop at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
“Every pocket of the country has experienced the impact of extreme weather events that are exacerbated by climate change, and disadvantaged communities often feel the brunt of that impact,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects (selected) will leverage the world class expertise and scientific research capacities of DoE’s national laboratories to develop the tools communities will need to inform future decisions for building resiliency.”
Other CRCs funded are located at:
- Saint Louis University in Missouri;
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology;
- University of Texas-Arlington in partnership with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi;
- Central State University in partnership with Ohio State University and PNNL;
- University of Alaska Fairbanks;
- Florida Institute of Technology,
- Central Michigan University;
- University of Massachusetts Lowell; and
- Lehigh University in partnership with PNNL.
The CRCs will help form a nucleus for a diverse group of young scientists, engineers, and technicians to further their scientific research and work on scientific teams. The CRCs will also foster capacity at the regional and local level by connecting with affected communities and stakeholders to enable them to translate basic research into actionable science to enhance climate resilience, as well as to identify potential future research opportunities.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu