image: Ben Kirtman, Ph.D., a renowned atmospheric scientist who raised the bar in the study of climate predictability, has been named the new dean of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Credit: Jenny Abreau, University of Miami
MIAMI — Ben Kirtman, a leading climate scientist known for advancing the accuracy of long-range weather and climate forecasts, has been named the new dean of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. His appointment will begin August 1, succeeding Roni Avissar, who has served as dean since 2009.
Kirtman, who joined the Rosenstiel School faculty in 2007, brings nearly two decades of leadership and groundbreaking research experience to his new role. A professor of atmospheric sciences, he is internationally recognized for developing tools to predict extreme climate and weather events weeks in advance—efforts that have improved disaster preparedness and informed public policy.
“This is a great time to push the Rosenstiel School to new heights,” said Kirtman. “It’s a particularly challenging time, so expanding on our greatness is going to take some serious innovation.”
As dean, Kirtman will lead one of the world’s premier institutions for earth, ocean, and atmospheric science. The Rosenstiel School’s facilities include a 75-foot wind-wave tank capable of simulating Category 5 hurricanes, a satellite reception center, and international research sites including an aerosol monitoring station in Barbados. The school’s research spans coral reefs and climate variability to tropical cyclones and marine biomedicine.
Kirtman currently directs the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), a research consortium housed at the Rosenstiel School, a nearly 50-year collaboration with NOAA. He also serves as deputy director of the University’s Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC), where he leads the Earth Systems Science program.
“Ben Kirtman has been one of our academic superstars since day one,” said Guillermo “Willy” Prado, the University’s interim executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “He’s a visionary leader who understands how to align research priorities with today’s most pressing environmental challenges. He is deeply respected across the University community and beyond.”
Kirtman’s climate modeling work has had far-reaching impact. Through the Subseasonal Experiment (SubX), his team accurately forecasted major events including the 2019 Midwest cold wave, Alaska’s Fourth of July heat wave, Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020, and the 2021 collapse of the Arctic polar vortex that plunged parts of the U.S. into deep freeze.
In 2023, Kirtman was named the inaugural William R. Middelthon III Endowed Chair of Earth Sciences, one of the University’s Centennial Talents, supporting his research on disaster risk reduction and climate variability. He has received more than $3 million in recent grants from the National Science Foundation and NOAA and is a Fellow of both the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union.
Kirtman earned his bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in meteorology and physical oceanography from the University of Maryland. His passion for weather and climate science began during his youth in Santa Barbara, California, where repeated basement flooding during the 1982–83 El Niño sparked his interest in atmospheric dynamics.
Despite his new administrative role, Kirtman plans to remain actively engaged in research and mentorship. “We’re on the cusp of becoming the premier institution for experiential learning and authentic research classroom experiences,” he said. “I will continue mentoring graduate students and postdocs and keep a robust research portfolio alive.”
He also aims to strengthen collaborations with schools across the University, including engineering, business, architecture, and the Climate Resilience Institute.
“We’re well positioned to expand on our greatness,” Kirtman said.
About the University of Miami and Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. The University’s vibrant academic community comprises 12 schools and colleges serving more than 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs.
Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing our world. The University of Miami is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).
Founded in 1943, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is one of the world’s premier research institutions in the continental United States. The school’s basic and applied research programs seek to improve understanding and prediction of Earth’s geological, oceanic, and atmospheric systems by focusing on four key pillars:
- Saving lives through better forecasting of extreme weather and seismic events.
- Feeding the world by developing sustainable wild fisheries and aquaculture programs.
- Unlocking ocean secrets through research on climate, weather, energy, and medicine.
- Preserving marine species, including endangered sharks and other fish, as well as protecting and restoring threatened coral reefs.