Michael McElroy	Roberto Lenton

Michael McElroy and Roberto Lenton, two leaders in the field of earth systems science and environmental management, have been appointed to the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI), a pioneering initiative spearheaded by Columbia and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Global Programs (NOAA-OGP).

Michael McElroy will serve as the chairman of the Board of Directors and Roberto Lenton will serve as the executive director of the secretariat for international affairs and development.

"Michael McElroy and Roberto Lenton have been actively pursuing questions of environmental vulnerability and sustainable development for many years," said President George Rupp. "Through their leadership, the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction can expand its partnerships with nations, research organizations, corporations, development banks, agencies of the United Nations and other organizations."

Divino Moura

Antonio Divino Moura, director general of the IRI, said, "The International Research Institute for Climate Prediction is very fortunate to gain the experience and wisdom of these creative and effective persons. We are delighted to have their help as we grow toward greater internationalization in team building and support, and focus on areas of applications."

McElroy is a professor of environmental studies, founding chair of the department of earth and planetary sciences and current chair of the Interfaculty Initiative on the Environment at Harvard. His research is directed at the wide-ranging effects of human activities on the global environment. In addition to his position at Harvard, McElroy has served on numerous committees of the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Congress and various agencies of the government including the Office of the Vice-President. He is also a member of the China International Council for Sustainable Development.

"The mission of the IRI recognizes the critical impact of climate on a wide range of essential human activities," said McElroy. "I am especially enthusiastic about the opportunities IRI offers to mitigate through cooperative programs of climate change in developing countries. I am delighted to be part of this far-sighted initiative by Columbia Earth Institute."

Since 1995 Lenton has been the director of the sustainable energy and environment division of the United Nations Development Programme. A water resource specialist with extensive experience in environment and development issues, Lenton was the director general of the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka; program officer for the Rural Poverty and Resources Program of the Ford Foundation in the New Delhi and New York offices, and a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While at UNDP, Lenton served as co-sponsor representative for the consultative group on international agricultural research and helped establish the Global Water Partnership.

"IRI clearly has the potential to become a key instrument in helping developing countries cope better with their central development challenges in such climate-sensitive areas as agriculture, health and water resources through the better use of the latest advances in climate prediction science," Lenton said. "In my new position, I look forward to helping IRI realize this potential by assisting the Institute to become a truly global organization, fostering partnerships for sustainable development at global, regional and national levels across the world."

After a successful first four years, the IRI is prepared to grow significantly. With Taiwan as the first international partner to formally support the IRI, the organization is on its way to becoming a truly multinational institute. McElroy and Lenton, working with the IRI community, are set to help lead the IRI to its next level of development to become a world-renowned research institute that links science to society.