A major new strategic commitment by the University of New South Wales to climate change research has attracted its first star recruit.

One of Australia's most respected climate scientists, Professor Andy Pitman, has resigned from Macquarie University to join the UNSW project.

Professor Pitman, an expert in climate modelling, was lead author of the chapter dealing with that issue in the recent global report issued by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

He says UNSW's strong support for the new $6 million project and its existing breadth and strength in scientific research were key factors in his decision.

"The climate change initiative at UNSW is clearly at a scale that is simply outstanding," Professor Pitman said.

"The opportunity to co-locate with genuine world-class scientists in climate, hydrology, vegetation science and many others is simply too good to refuse. Instead of competing as we did before, we can now develop a synergy that will allow us to lead climate science nationally."

Professor Pitman will join with UNSW's Professor Matthew England as co-directors of a new UNSW Centre for Climate Change Research, which will bring together some 60 academics across the university in an integrated research program into all aspects of climate change.

Professor Pitman will continue his role as Convenor of the Australian Research Council Research Network for Earth System Science, which links together relevant scientists in universities, the CSIRO, ANSTO and the Bureau of Meteorology.

He is a lead author of Working Group 1 of IPCC 2005 and 2007; editor of the Journal of Climate; Chair of the World Climate Research Program’s committee on Global Land Atmospheric System Study; National Representative to the International Geosphere Biosphere program; Member of the National Academy of Science’s committee on Earth Systems Science, and of the Advisory Board of Risk Frontiers Natural Hazards Research Centre.

Professor Pitman plans to focus initially on exploring the likelihood of abrupt climate change over Australia driven by terrestrial processes, and exploring the role of increasing carbon dioxide levels in causing plants to shut down transpiration, which leads to higher surface temperatures. He has an Australian Research Council grant to explore this issue over the Murray Darling Basin.

UNSW Dean of Science, Professor Mike Archer, has warmly welcomed Professor Pitman's decision: "Andy Pitman and Matthew England are two of the best and brightest climate scientists Australia has produced and they will form a formidable team. So much is at stake for the world with climate change and its consequences that we need to focus our best resources on tackling it."

Professor Pitman holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD from Liverpool University and is the author of more than 100 internationally peer reviewed journal publications.

Media contacts:
Judy Brookman (UNSW media office) 0421 061 252;
Bob Beale (UNSW Faculty of Science) 0411 705 435.