Professor Eric Maloney named AGU Fellow
Our Department Head and Professor Eric Maloney was elected as an AGU Fellow, joining a distinguished group of 52 individuals in the 2025 Class of Fellows. AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, bestows this honor annually to a select number of individuals who have made exceptional contributions. Since the program’s inception in 1962, less than 0.1% of AGU members have been selected as Fellows each year.
“During my graduate school days studying tropical meteorology, it was inconceivable to me that I would one day receive such a humbling honor,” said Maloney. “I could not have done this without the students and other collaborators I’ve worked with. I’ve also had outstanding mentors at the University of Washington, NCAR, Oregon State University, and Colorado State University. Without them, this would not have been possible.”
AGU Fellows are recognized for their scientific eminence, demonstrated through breakthroughs, discoveries or innovations that advance the Earth and space sciences. Fellows act as external experts, advising government agencies and other organizations outside the sciences upon request. Maloney was selected for his exemplary leadership and outstanding scientific achievements, which have significantly advanced our understanding of tropical meteorology, hurricanes, ocean-atmosphere interactions and climate dynamics, as well as, climate modeling.
Maloney earned a Ph.D. in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington in 2000. He then studied under a NOAA Climate and Global Change postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for Atmospheric Research before joining the faculty of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University in 2002 as an Assistant Professor. Maloney joined the faculty of the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University in 2008.
Over 160 publications and book chapters in the peer reviewed literature have been contributed by Maloney during his career. These publications cover various topics of tropical meteorology including observations, modeling, and theoretical studies of tropical precipitation and tropical cyclones, including a large body of literature on the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO). Maloney also has other research contributions on ocean-atmosphere interactions, regional climate change over North America, interactions between the tropics and midlatitudes, and El Niño-Southern Oscillation, among other topics.
Maloney was editor of Journal of Climate from 2011-2014. He was formerly co-chair of the NOAA MAPP Model Diagnostics Task Force and World Meteorological Organization’s MJO Task Force. Maloney received the American Geophysical Union’s Ascent Award and is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
Honorees will be recognized at AGU25, which will convene in New Orleans, Louisiana and on December 15-19, 2025. Reflecting the theme ‘Where Science Connects Us’ at AGU25, the Honors Ceremony will recognize groundbreaking achievements that illustrate science’s continual advancement, inspiring the AGU community with their stories and successes.