California Air Resources Board

Since 2001, the California Air Resources Board has annually bestowed these distinguished awards upon extraordinary individuals and international leaders to recognize significant career accomplishments in at least one of these air quality and climate change categories: research, environmental policy, science and technology, public education, and community service. The table shows recipients by year and overall category. Learn more about each winner below the table.

Recipients

2023 Awards

• Nomination Instructions
• Nomination Form
• Press Release - Nominations, October 30, 2023
• Press Release - Awardees, October 9, 2024
• Media Advisory - Clean Air Talks, October 10, 2024
• Board Meeting (video), October 24, 2024
• Clean Air Talks (video), October 24, 2024 available soon
• Program Booklet
• Summary Page

Kofi A. Agyarko, M.S. - Environmental Justice

Mr. Kofi Agyarko has been a leader in energy efficiency and energy conservation policies and programs in Ghana for decades, with expertise and impact that transcends international borders. Mr. Agyarko has worked tirelessly to advance energy efficiency initiatives that benefit both people and the planet. This includes the fight against international trade practices of environmental dumping, where wealthy nations ship new and used consumer products, including outdated refrigerators and air conditioners with obsolete and high global warming potential refrigerants, to poor and developing countries that can ill afford the environmental, financial, and other burdens of such appliances.

Richard C. Flagan, Ph.D. - Research

Dr. Richard Flagan is a globally recognized and innovative experimentalist and researcher in aerosol science and instrumentation. In 1975, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate joined the California Institute of Technology faculty to study aerosol science. Throughout his career, Dr. Flagan has made transformative contributions to the field of aerosol science, developing innovative measurement techniques and advancing the understanding of aerosol dynamics and their environmental impacts. One of Dr. Flagan's most remarkable contributions to clean air was the development of novel aerosol measurement instruments that dramatically improved the accuracy and scope of atmospheric studies.

Prashant Kumar, Ph.D. - International Education

Dr. Prashant Kumar, a Professor of Air Quality and Health at the University of Surrey, has been active in research and education across the globe, including in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, and the United Kingdom. Dr. Kumar completed a doctorate in engineering at the University of Cambridge, specializing in measurements and dispersion modeling of nanoparticles in the urban environment. Dr. Kumar then joined the University of Surrey, where he rapidly advanced from Lecturer to Professor and Chair, and to Associate Dean. His widespread public outreach and education work has distinguished him as an uncommon academic who takes his research to the end users, from policy makers to the public.

Vickie Patton, J.D. - Policy

Ms. Vickie Patton has been integral in upholding numerous national and state climate change and air quality standards by utilizing science-based analysis, partnerships, public education, and strategic litigation. An environmental attorney and resolute clean air advocate, Ms. Patton has dedicated over 30 years to improving and protecting clean air regulations and promoting healthier air and a safer climate for all people and communities. She has been a powerful California ally when the state's waiver has been under attack. Her leadership and integrity have made her one of the most respected and accomplished leaders within the non-profit advocacy community.

2022 Awards

• Nomination Instructions
• Nomination Form
• Press Release - Nominations, October 21, 2022
• Press Release - Awardees, May 31, 2023
• Media Advisory - Clean Air Talks, June 20, 2023
• Board Meeting (video), June 22, 2023
• Clean Air Leadership Talks (video), June 22, 2023
• Program Booklet
• Summary Page

Daniel L. Albritton, Ph.D. - Policy

Dr. Albritton spent nearly 40 years as a scientist and public servant and was head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aeronomy Laboratory from 1986 until his retirement in 2006. Dr. Albritton led numerous collaborative research initiatives, with scientific work that spanned the Earth’s atmosphere from “top to bottom.” Dr. Albritton was also renowned as one of the most effective communicators of science and climate change of our time and played critical key roles in bridging the gap between research and policy. 

Prashant Gargava, Ph.D. - International Leadership

Dr. Gargava has been a tireless and groundbreaking leader of air quality in India and other Asian countries, as a scientist and highly effective public servant. He rapidly rose through the ranks of India's Central Pollution Control Board, the apex regulatory air quality agency in India, ultimately reaching the position of Member Secretary in 2018. He helped spearhead and revise India's National Air Quality Standards, crucially worked on the development of India’s National Air Quality Index and played a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of India’s Clean Air Program. 

Allen H. Goldstein, Ph.D. - Science and Technology

Dr. Goldstein has been a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, for just over 25 years, establishing himself as one of the world’s preeminent atmospheric chemists, as well as a global leader who has had a lifelong commitment to providing accurate and insightful data on important air quality and climate change problems. Professor Goldstein has addressed some of the most complex and perplexing questions in atmospheric science and has led the development of state-of-the-science instruments for sampling and analyzing air.

Bill Magavern - Policy

As a clean air advocate, Mr. Magavern has dedicated over 20 years to effecting change in clean air, via California legislation, regulations and advocacy. Anchored in the never-wavering principle that every Californian deserves to breathe clean air, Mr. Magavern was instrumental in the passing of Assembly Bill 1550 (Gomez, 2016) and Senate Bill 535 (De León, 2012), which substantially benefit communities most impacted by pollution. He also has a tested track record of supporting and improving diesel emission reduction legislation and regulations, including California Senate Bill 210 (Leyva, 2019) that will result in significant reductions of diesel and criteria pollutant emissions from heavy-duty vehicles.

Shankar Prasad, M.B.B.S. - Environmental Justice

Dr. Prasad has been a pioneer in the development of the environmental justice (EJ) movement. His efforts helped initiate the very first EJ program at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and his work helped drive the development of CalEnviroScreen, a groundbreaking tool that is leading the way forward on evaluating cumulative impacts at the neighborhood level. Dr. Prasad has advocated to direct investment of greenhouse gas reduction funds to communities most burdened by pollution; he worked tirelessly to get this innovative concept passed into law as Senate Bill 535 (De León, 2012). 

Jonathan Samet, M.D., M.S. - Environmental Health Research

Professor Samet’s long and distinguished career has been on the cutting edge of research and decision-making for nearly half a century, with extensive and steady landmark contributions to the understanding of the health impacts of both outdoor and indoor air pollution. His long list of transformative scientific contributions includes one of the earliest time-series studies of air pollution and illness and helping to pioneer the use of United States national-level Medicare data for studies of air pollution and mortality. Professor Samet also developed and led crucial changes to the methods for synthesizing and integrating health evidence for many specific pollutants, helping to provide a widely utilized framework for providing research evidence for air quality control decisions.

Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director - Environmental Justice

Ms. Shepard is Co-Founder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, based in New York, and has a long history of organizing and engaging community-based campaigns to address environmental health disparities, with a focus on communities of color. She is known as one of the pioneers of the environmental justice movement who has successfully combined grassroots organizing, advocacy, and community-based participatory research to become a national leader on environmental justice issues. Ms. Shepard has served in leadership roles for a multitude of local, state and federal-level advisory and decision-making organizations, including the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Executive Committee of the National Black Environmental Justice Network, plus the Boards of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and the New York City Environmental Justice Advisory.

2020-2021 Awards

Due to the hiatus in awards by the pandemic, this set of prizes is for the combined years of 2020 and 2021.  

• Nomination Instructions
• Nomination Form
• Media Advisory, May 16, 2022
• Board Meeting, May 20, 2022
• Press Release, May 20, 2022
• Clean Air Leadership Talks, May 20, 2022 (video)
• Program Booklet
• Summary Page

Richard C. J. Somerville, Ph.D. - Climate Change Science

Professor Somerville is an internationally recognized climate scientist and an expert on communicating clearly to the public what scientists have learned about climate change. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, where he has been a professor since 1979.

Paul M. Ong, Ph.D. - Air Quality Community Service / Environmental Justice

Professor Ong has engaged in a lifelong commitment to air quality, working for over three decades as a scientist and educator on interdisciplinary social science and environmental teaching, policy-focused research, and community engagement. He is a Research Professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.

Kunsheng Li - International Air Quality Leadership

Mr. Kunsheng Li has worked for over twenty years on the management of vehicle emissions in China, with a focus on Beijing, promoting and implementing numerous mobile source emission control measures that significantly contributed to the improvement of Beijing’s atmospheric environmental quality. He is also a Senior Engineer, Vice Chairman of the Automotive Engineering Society of China, and a Member of the Oil Product Application and Development Professional Committee of China’s Petroleum Society.

Jürgen Resch - Environmental Policy

Mr. Resch has worked tirelessly to create broad alliances across non-governmental, scientific, and industrial organizations for bringing forward available technology to reduce air pollution. He has also persistently championed the need for legal jurisdiction of environmental rights and market surveillance – and has not hesitated to uncover fraud, including in Germany on the automaker diesel scandal. Mr. Resch is an Executive Director of Environmental Action Germany, one of the most active non-governmental organizations in Germany for clean air policy.

Stephen E. Schwartz, Ph.D. - Air Quality Research

Dr. Schwartz is a recognized expert in atmospheric chemistry, radiative forcing of climate change, and the response of climate to anthropogenic factors. Several of his publications have been highly influential research milestones and have impacted important policies including The Clean Air Act. Dr. Schwartz is Senior Scientist Emeritus at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where he has been on the scientific staff since 1975.

David Kittelson, Ph.D. - Air Quality Science / Technology

Professor Kittelson is considered “the” world leader and pioneer of diesel emission research. His research, at the frontier of combustion engine emission studies, provided the fundamental foundational knowledge of diesel particle formation that enabled today’s current stringent regulations. He is the Frank Rowley Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota, where he has been a professor since 1980.

Martin Williams, Ph.D. - Posthumous Recognition for Outstanding Contributions to Air Quality

Professor Martin Williams had a long and distinguished career in air quality working for government, international bodies, and universities. His leading work on air pollution science and policy started in the late 1970s, and he became a significant presence - and often the guiding force – in almost all major international negotiations on air pollution in recent decades. His main interests focused on the application of atmospheric science to policy, the relationship between air quality and health, and the links between air quality and climate change. Obituaries: Imperial College London; The Guardian; Clean Air Programme.

2019 Awards

CARB historically has combined its announcement of the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award winners with events that include Clean Air Leadership Talks, highlighting the winners’ important cutting-edge clean air and climate solutions. A special reception and Board meeting recognition also serve to celebrate the winners’ accomplishments. These events for the 2019 Award Winners, originally scheduled for April 22-23, 2020, were postponed to November, 2021.

• Nomination Form
• Press Release, April 8, 2020
• Media Advisory, November 16, 2021
• Clean Air Leadership Talks, November 18, 2021 (video)
• Program Booklet: Riverside Campus Dedication and Clean Air Leadership Talks, November 18, 2021
• Board Meeting, November 19, 2021
• Summary Page

Stephen O. Andersen, Ph.D. - Environmental Policy

Dr. Andersen has devoted more than 40 years to protecting the ozone layer and climate. Beyond his central role in establishing the Montreal Protocol’s initial protections for Earth’s stratospheric layer, he demonstrated courage, foresight and tenacity in realizing that treaty’s potential to also control climate-changing emissions. He is known for his optimism, fairness and productivity, inspiring countless others to solve important environmental problems. He is being honored in the Clean Air Award category of Environmental Policy.

John Birks, Ph.D. - Science & Technology

Dr. Birks has advanced our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere through more than 40 years of research, teaching and technological innovation. His early work on the chemistry of chlorine helped unravel the complex processes of stratospheric ozone depletion. He is co-developer of the theory of “nuclear winter,” and developed a range of portable instruments that dramatically improved scientists’ capacity to measure and analyze atmospheric air quality. Dr. Birks is being honored in the Science and Technology category.

Junji Cao, Ph.D. - International Leadership

At a critical time in China’s development, Dr. Cao was assessing and addressing aerosol pollution. He continues to be a prolific contributor to clean air research, policy, science, technology and education. His research focused on airborne particulates in major Chinese cities has helped to drive China’s air quality programs, improving the health of millions of people, while also reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. He is being honored in the category of International Leadership.

William B. DeMore, Ph.D. - Research

The elder statesman of atmospheric chemistry, Dr. DeMore’s lifetime contributions to the measurement and modeling of atmospheric ozone cannot be overstated. His comprehensive knowledge of chemical kinetics and cool-headed scientific diplomacy were vital to the resolution of many important problems in analytical chemistry with high stakes for air quality management. He is being honored in the category of Research.

Janice E. Nolen, M.A. - Education

Ms. Nolen was a committed educator and advocate for improving the respiratory health of all Americans by implementing and enforcing the Clean Air Act. The creative force behind the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air Report” for 20 years, she contributed to several important national health policy victories. She is being honored in the category of Education.

Karl Taylor, Ph.D. - Climate Change Science

Dr. Taylor’s contributions — both in building essential infrastructure to improve climate modeling and through his own far-reaching research exposing differential forcing effects of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols — have helped make it possible for the climate science community to evaluate and improve climate change modeling, to distinguish human impacts on climate, and to estimate uncertainty in projections of future climate change. He is being honored in the Climate Change Science category.

Joy Williams, MPH - Community Service & Environmental Justice

Ms. Williams has devoted her career to empowering residents of disadvantaged communities to protect themselves and their environment from toxic pollutants. For more than 30 years, she has taught others how to harness the power of science, community, and advocacy to defend the right of all races, cultures and income levels to fair and respectful treatment in the development and implementation of environmental laws and policies. She is being honored in the Community Service and Environmental Justice category.

2018 Awards

Learn about real-world air pollution problems and innovative solutions from five individuals who received California’s premier air quality award for their career contributions. The 2018 Recipient Clean Air Talks and Presentation will be held February 20 and 21, 2019 at the California Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Sacramento.

• Clean Air Leadership Talks (includes presentations and video)
• Program booklet
• News Release
• Award Ceremony Photos

Paul Crutzen, Ph.D. - International Air Pollution Research

Professor Paul Crutzen’s pathbreaking research in the atmospheric chemistry of ozone played a fundamental role in establishing the link between human activities and ozone in the atmosphere. Crutzen’s findings helped galvanize a global political response to the threat of ozone depletion, leading, ultimately, to the 1987 signing of the Montreal Protocol for global protection of the stratospheric ozone layer.

Anne Douglass, Ph.D. - Atmospheric Research

Dr. Anne Douglass’s innovative use of airborne and ground-based observations advanced the modeling of the chemical and climate processes that control ozone in earth’s atmosphere. She is also the Project Scientist of NASA’s Aura satellite project. Aura’s measurements are critical to the scientific community’s research on ozone trends, air quality changes, and their links to climate change.

Hal Harvey - Climate Policy

Hal Harvey elevated the practice of strategic philanthropy in the service of climate change mitigation. Harvey founded climate-focused philanthropic organizations The Energy Foundation and ClimateWorks Foundation, and directed environmental giving for The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. He co-founded the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) in 2001 to support government action to reduce energy consumption and climate change emissions from the world’s fastest growing vehicle fleets.

Barry Wallerstein, D.Env. - Environmental Policy

Dr. Barry Wallerstein has over 30 years of service to the people of Southern California. For nearly two decades, he served as the executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The agency is responsible for the respiratory health of 17 million Californians in the most smog-stricken air quality district in the nation. There he guided the most effective regional air quality management program in our country’s history.

John Watson, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. John Watson’s seminal contributions to the science and technology of air pollution measurement, characterization, and monitoring have advanced the development of air quality management programs in California and abroad. Watson is the developer of mission-critical technology used by the U.S. EPA and by scientists throughout the world to estimate source contributions to airborne particulates and volatile organic compounds. A prolific researcher, author, and editor, Watson served as principal investigator for over 120 air quality studies and produced hundreds of peer-reviewed journal publications.

2017 Legacy Awards

To commemorate five decades of progress toward clean air and in conjunction with the Board’s 50^th Anniversary, the Board proudly honors the recipients of the Haagen-Smit Legacy Awards who have had a significant impact on air quality and climate goals in California and beyond.

David Hawkins - Legacy Award

David Hawkins is being recognized for his leadership in the development, advocacy, and implementation of sustainable and science-based clean air policies, notably the Clean Air Act, that improve quality of life for all Americans. Mr. Hawkins was one of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) first staff members in 1971 and has been with the organization ever since, minus the four years he spent working at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the Carter administration. After returning to NRDC, he dedicated much of his time to getting an improved Clean Air Act reauthorized by Congress in 1990. In his 40 plus year career at NRDC, Mr. Hawkins served as director of NRDC’s Air & Energy program, and has been director of the Climate Center since 2001. With expertise in advanced coal technologies and carbon dioxide capture and storage, Mr. Hawkins has worked with Congress, the Executive Branch, and various members of the business community to design policies that will slow, stop and reduce the emissions of global warming pollution. His legacy of advocating for health-protective air quality policy will have positive effects on Americans’ health for years to come.

Henry Waxman - Legacy Award

Henry Waxman is being recognized for his leadership and many legislative achievements on environmental issues as a key member of the U.S. House of Representatives, having served 40 years in Congress. Mr. Waxman currently serves as Chairman at Waxman Strategies, a public affairs and strategic communications firm where he continues to focus on the issues he championed while in Congress, including health care, environment, energy, technology and telecommunications. Mr. Waxman’s legislative work and tenacity earned him recognition as “one of the most accomplished legislators of our time” when pushing for passage of the landmark Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The additional programs and enforcement capabilities that the Amendments provided are proving to have long-lasting positive effects, having saved over 1 million people from premature death. He is also known for the Waxman-Markey Bill in 2009 that if passed by the Senate, would have established an early version of a cap and trade program. Despite the bill only making passed the House, it had brought the climate issue to national attention, paving the way for legislation such as the Clean Power Plan.

Mario Molina, Ph.D. - Legacy Award

Mario Molina is being recognized for his pioneering research on chlorinated gases in the atmosphere, which laid the foundation for international efforts to curb growth of the ozone hole, and is now shaping policy to curb short-lived climate pollutants. Currently, he is professor at the University of California, San Diego, with a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, one of the leading climate change research institutions. Dr. Molina has received numerous awards for his contributions to science including over 40 honorary degrees, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 1983, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. Molina was a pioneer in the translation of atmospheric science research into scientifically sound policies that protect human health and the environment.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - Legacy Award

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is being recognized for strong and sustained public leadership on an extraordinary range of environmental issues during a critical period in our State’s history. Among the most influential actions taken by Governor Schwarzenegger was his support of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) where he worked with leaders of both major political parties to pass this bold and historic Act. AB 32 ultimately gave rise to a host of greenhouse gas reduction programs covering a vast array of combustion-intensive industries and activities including fuel refining, power generation, transportation and manufacturing. Continuing his commitment to environmental leadership, in 2011 he co-founded R20, a global non-profit of sub-national governments and regional leaders working together to address climate change and build a green economy. In 2012 he partnered with the University of Southern California (USC) to launch the USC Schwarzenegger Institute to continue his work on the many policy initiatives he championed during his two terms as Governor.

Gina McCarthy - Legacy Award

Gina McCarthy is being recognized for her leadership at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on development and implementation of the Clean Power Plan and a whole suite of climate policies. Previously, Ms. McCarthy served as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, where she began an initiative called “No Child Left Inside” to introduce families to the natural world by visiting state parks. She also helped design and implement the nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first cap and trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. She has also held senior positions in Massachusetts, serving five governors, including Deputy Secretary of the Office of Commonwealth Development and Undersecretary for Policy for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. She is currently a Professor of the Practice of Public Health in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard and the Director of Harvard’s Center for Health and the Global Environment. Policies instituted under her guidance at the Environmental Protection Agency, and her ongoing efforts to increase public awareness of the fundamental role of science in environmental protection, constitute a legacy that will protect public health for generations.

2016 Recipients

Learn about real-world air pollution problems and innovative solutions from five individuals who received California’s premier air quality award for their career contributions. The 2016 Recipient Clean Air Talks were held June 21, 2017 at the California Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Sacramento.

• Watch talks webcast - Note that video is about 2.5 hours.
• Download Board Meeting presentation & acceptance speeches
• Program
• Awards photos

Chester France - Emission Control Technologies

Mr. Chester France is being recognized for his contributions and leadership in demonstrating and implementing advanced technologies to reduce mobile source emissions in the United States that have realized large public health and climate benefits. As the former Director of the Assessment and Standards Division in the Office of Transportation and Air Quality at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. France led the development of federal motor vehicle and emission control programs. Through Mr. France’s management and collaborative efforts, today’s cars and trucks are 99 percent cleaner than a decade ago, and he helped pave the path for continued progress toward a clean transportation future.

Daniel Greenbaum - Environmental Policy

Mr. Daniel Greenbaum is being recognized for his sustained leadership on air pollution health science, communication, and policies. Mr. Greenbaum serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Health Effects Institute (HEI) based in Boston, Massachusetts.  He leads HEI’s efforts to provide public and private decision makers – in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America – with high quality, impartial, relevant, and credible science about the health effects of air pollution in order to inform air quality decisions in the developed and developing world. Mr. Greenbaum also serves as the Chair of the Board of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), a non-profit organization providing technical analysis and support to the agencies involved in seeking clean vehicles worldwide. Before coming to HEI, he served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection from 1988 to 1994, where he was responsible for the Commonwealth’s response to the Clean Air Act, as well as its award-winning efforts on pollution prevention, water pollution, and solid and hazardous waste.

Joyce Penner, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. Joyce Penner is being recognized for her pioneering research that demonstrates the full extent of aerosols’ impact on the global atmosphere, their relationship to human activities, and their complex interactions with the climate system. She currently serves as the Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Michigan. Dr. Penner has coordinated and contributed to major reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate (IPCC) since 1994 and was lead author on the report for which the group shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. She conducted the first calculations of the effects of smoke from biomass-burning on climate forcing, and the first study of the climate effects of sulfur aerosols. This research was instrumental in highlighting the need to account for the cooling effects of aerosols along with their warming effects to help explain the human influence on climate change for the IPCC’s scientific assessments.

Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Ph.D. - Climate Change Research

Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan is being recognized for his crucial research on climate change, particularly his groundbreaking work on short-lived climate pollutants. He is currently the Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Ramanathan discovered the greenhouse effect of halocarbons, particularly chlorofluorocarbons in 1975, and predicted in 1980 that global warming would be detected by 2000.  His recent finding is that mitigation of short lived climate pollutants (black carbon, methane, ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons) will slow down global warming significantly during this century. This proposal has now been adopted by the United Nations and California. Dr. Ramanathan’s engaging, sound, scientific approach to understanding the causes of – and solutions to – the world’s most complex climate challenges has had positive impacts worldwide. Dr. Ramanathan’s accomplishments are widely celebrated, and he has been described as Pope Francis’ “Climate Scientist”.

Anumita Roychowdhury - International Air Pollution Policy

Ms. Anumita Roychowdhury is being recognized for her notable work on a suite of emission control strategies to mitigate severe air pollution in India. She serves as Executive Director for Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, a non-profit public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, that has long advocated for sustainable development and science-based policy action to improve the quality of life for all residents. It was her leadership that spurred the Supreme Court of India to set forth an implementation schedule to turn over the diesel bus fleet to cleaner fuels in the capitol region, setting the path for further clean air policies nationwide. Her tireless advocacy for air quality standards, vehicle emission standards, and cleaner fuel options will be long‑standing legacies for India and beyond.

2015 Recipients

Learn about real-world air pollution problems and innovative solutions from four individuals who have been selected to win California’s premier air quality award for their career contributions. The 2015 Recipient Clean Air Talks were held May 18, 2016 at the California Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Sacramento.

• Watch the May 18, 2016 Clean Air Talks webcast
• Program
• Photos: Clean Air Talks & Board Item Presentation

Jiming Hao, Ph.D. - International Air Pollution Control

Dr. Jiming Hao is being recognized for his notable work on a suite of emission control strategies to mitigate severe air pollution in China over the past 40 years. He currently serves as Professor and Dean at the School of Environment, Tsinghua University in Beijing China. His leadership in development and implementation of emission controls for coal power plants, industrial boilers, vehicles, fuels, and even traffic management will be long-standing legacies at both national as well as international levels.

Kimberly Prather, Ph.D. - Atmospheric Chemistry Research

Dr. Kimberly Prather is being recognized for her pioneering work that has transformed our understanding of atmospheric aerosols and their impacts on atmospheric chemistry, climate, and the hydrologic cycle. She currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego. Her innovations in aerosol measurement techniques, contributions to aerosol science, and her commitment to training the next generation of researchers will have scientific impacts for years to come.

Michael Prather, Ph.D. - Climate Change Research

Dr. Michael Prather is being recognized for his sustained and innovative contributions to atmospheric chemistry, and the linkages between air quality and climate change in particular. He currently serves as a Professor in the Earth System Science Department at the University of California, Irvine. His work has transformed scientific understanding of air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and interactions among them, and has resulted in better policies for controlling greenhouse gases and ozone depletion. These contributions will be regarded for years to come not only for California air quality and climate goals but on an international scale.

Donald Stedman, Ph.D. - Emission Control Technologies

Dr. Donald Stedman is being recognized for his contributions to motor vehicle emissions research and measurement techniques. He is a Professor at the University of Denver.  Dr. Stedman’s invention of an on-road remote sensor for measuring in-use motor vehicle emissions and of a heavy-duty on-road emissions monitoring system have transformed our understanding of vehicle fleet emissions and the role that high-emitting vehicles play in determining urban air quality. The impact of those measurements on mobile source emission inventories will be a long-standing legacy. Dr. Stedman passed away in April 2016.

2014 Recipients

• Watch June 24, 2015 Clean Air Talks webcast
• Program

Donald Blake, Ph.D. - Atmospheric Chemistry Research

Dr. Donald Blake is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. He is being recognized for his outstanding research and teaching in the field of atmospheric chemistry. He is a world-renowned leader and innovator in sampling and analysis of atmospheric trace gases. Dr. Blake has carried out internationally acclaimed measurements of atmospheric volatile organic compounds that have provided critical insights into their roles in air pollution and climate change. His research shows how elevated air pollution in some cities, such as Mexico City, can be attributed to propane use and cooking emissions rather than traffic pollution.

Kirk Smith, Ph.D. - International Air Pollution Research

Dr. Kirk Smith is a Professor of Global Environmental Health at the University of California, Berkeley. He is being recognized for his leadership in research and international efforts in the area of household air pollution from solid-fuel burning traditional cookstoves. He was a key participant in the Global Energy Assessment and was lead author of the health chapter in the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report prepared by the Working Group on Impacts. Dr. Smith holds visiting professorships in India and China, where he works to bring clean air to all people, particularly those who suffer from high exposures to smoke from traditional cookstoves using biomass and coal fuels. His research was critical to the development of the global burden of disease estimate that 4 million people die prematurely from household fuel combustion each year and in helping trigger the first recognition of the importance of air pollution within health ministries.

John Wall, Sc.D. - Emission Control Technology

Dr. John Wall has served as the Vice President – Chief Technical Officer for Cummins, Inc., since 2000.  Cummins, Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and services diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies.  He has played a leadership role in the development and implementation of all the major technology advancements ultimately leading to near-zero levels of emissions of particulate matter and low levels of emissions of oxides of nitrogen from both on- and off-highway engines.

2013 Recipients

• Program

Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. Barbara Finlayson-Pitts is a distinguished professor of chemistry at UC Irvine. She is being recognized for her outstanding research and teaching in the field of atmospheric chemistry. She is one of the most important contemporary atmospheric chemists and a leading world expert in atmospheric photochemistry. Her research has been inspired and driven by air pollution issues. She is best known to the scientific community for co-authoring two widely acclaimed and influential books on atmospheric chemistry.

James Lents, Ph.D. - Environmental Policy

Dr. James Lents is being recognized for his leadership in environmental policy since the 1970s, from his contributions to the Clean Air Act for California and amendments to the Federal Clean Air Act in 1990 to his role as executive director for South Coast Air Quality Management District during the 1980s and 90s, where he led the agency to produce the first regional plan approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that demonstrated the steps needed to attain air quality standards. His work in Chattanooga, Tenn., where his career began, inspired a U.S. EPA film and a Newsweek article highlighting what one city did to clean up its particulate pollution. Dr. Lents is president of the International Sustainable Systems Research Center, a small but highly effective policy shop he founded in 2003.

Teruyuki Ohno - International Policy

Mr. Teruyuki Ohno of Tokyo, Japan, has been an innovative policy leader for the past 35 years. Programs successfully launched include: ‘Operation No Dirty Diesel,’ Japan’s first diesel retrofit program, and the Tokyo Cap-and-Trade Program, Japan’s first carbon trading program. Mr. Ohno is executive director of the nonprofit Japan Renewable Energy Foundation, and serves as a lecturer at Tokyo University on sustainability topics.

2012 Recipients

Tom Cackette - Environmental Policy

Mr. Tom Cackette is the Air Resources Board’s Chief Deputy Executive Officer and has worked with ARB since 1982. Mr. Cackette has been involved in many areas of air pollution control since the 1970s but is most notably recognized for his guidance and perseverance in mobile source control regulations for the ARB. His most recent contributions are the Low-Emission Vehicle and Zero-Emission Vehicle regulations along with ground-breaking funding incentives such as the Carl Moyer and Lower-Emission School Bus Programs. Taken together, these programs have led to the accelerated development, demonstration, and fleet acquisition of a portfolio of clean-fueled transportation technologies with dramatic co-benefits including: reduced emissions leading to profound public health benefits, reduced dependency on petroleum matched by increased fuel diversity, and demonstrable progress toward clean-energy alternatives.

Andrea M. Hricko, MPH - Public Education

Ms. Andrea M. Hricko is being recognized for her work in the area of public education and advocacy. Her current work involves environmental justice topics surrounding public health impacts from goods movement in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. She served on the U.S. EPA National Environmental Justice Committee’s Working Group on Ports and Goods Movement, the Governor of California’s Cabinet-Level Goods Movement Action Plan Integrating Work Group, and the Southern California Association of Governments Goods Movement Task Force, helping to formulate more sustainable transportation and goods movement policies. She is widely regarded as an inspiration to the youth and community members she serves and for empowering community-based organizations to educate their communities and local policymakers about the health effects of air pollution and more effectively advocate for cleaner air and better land use decision making.

Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge, Ph.D. - Environmental Policy

Dr. Ronald Loveridge has been an Air Resources Board Member since 2004 and is retiring this year after over 30 years of community service. He served as Mayor of Riverside since 1994, an unprecedented 4 terms; served on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board and has been an Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of California, Riverside for nearly 40 years. Dr. Loveridge was President of the League of California Cities, a member of the Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments, and has been honored by the American Lung Association for his leadership in protecting public health from air pollution. He has been honored by such organizations as the American Planning Association and the California Preservation Foundation. As Mayor of Riverside he led the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan to Make Riverside a Model Clean Air City which was recognized with an annual award by the South Coast Air Quality District as a Model Clean Air Community. Mayor Loveridge appointed a “Clean & Green Task Force” for the city. And in 2007 the Task Force, with the Mayor’s endorsement, put forth a “Sustainable Riverside Policy Statement” which led to Riverside being officially designated as the first “Emerald City” by California Department of Conservation.

2011 Recipients

Janet Arey, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. Janet Arey has been teaching and conducting research into atmospheric chemistry for over 30 years. A professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and the Interdepartmental Program in Environmental Toxicology at University of California at Riverside, she joined the Air Pollution Research Center at UC Riverside as an Assistant Research Chemist in 1982. Dr. Arey’s area of expertise is the atmospheric chemistry of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, an area in which she is one of the world’s leading authorities with nearly 100 journal publications on this topic alone (out of almost two hundred total). She is a member of the World Health Organization’s Task Group for Environmental Health Criteria, and participates in a working group for the International Agency for Research on Cancer evaluating carcinogenic risks to humans. For the last two decades Dr. Arey has been a UC Riverside graduate advisor to students who have successfully completed their degrees and are employed in pharmaceutical firms and regulatory agencies throughout the United States.

Judy Chow, Sc.D. - Science and Technology

Dr. Chow has 35 years of experience and leadership as a research scientist. She is the Nazir and Mary Ansari Chair in Entrepreneurialism and Science and Research Professor in the Division of Atmospheric Sciences at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada. She joined DRI in 1985, after she received her Doctor of Science degree from Harvard University. Dr. Chow is internationally known for her expertise in characterizing and quantifying complex atmospheric particles, establishing analytical techniques and instruments for monitoring and analyzing the chemical composition of ambient PM2.5 and PM10, and for her communication and knowledge transfer in PM monitoring, analysis, modeling, and controls to state, local, and international applications. She has published more than 320 peer-reviewed articles and acted as editor and reviewer for numerous technical journals. Dr. Chow is founder and leader of the Environmental Analysis Facility of the Desert Research Institute. The facility assesses chemical and physical characteristics of airborne particles. She has designed measurement strategies for, and participated in, major health and exposure studies in Mexico, China, and the United States. Dr. Chow has been appointed to: the National Research Council's Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology, the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Science Board, and the U.S. EPA Ambient Air Monitoring and Methods Subcommittee of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.

Jananne Sharpless - Environmental Policy

Ms. Sharpless has worked in the public policy arena for 35 years. She served as both Cabinet Secretary for the Environment - predecessor agency to California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) - and Chair of the California Air Resources Board (ARB) between 1985 and 1991, and after the Cal/EPA was established, she continued her chairmanship of ARB until the end of 1993, and served as a California Energy Commissioner between 1994 and 1999. Ms. Sharpless currently operates a consulting firm, and is on the Board of Directors of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. She has provided historic leadership on clean air and clean energy issues in California laying the groundwork for transitioning California to the next generation of clean alternative fuels and technologies. During her tenure at ARB, Ms. Sharpless was instrumental in the adoption of standards for cleaner-burning gasoline and low and zero-emission vehicles. In 1990, she presided over the adoption of the first Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate that required ZEVs be sold in California. For the past 18 years, she has served as Chair of the Health Effects Task Force of Breathe California as well as on the Advisory Board to UC Davis’s Institute of Transportation Studies. She served on the U.S. Department of Energy Advisory Board, Sacramento Transportation and Air Quality Collaborative, and the California League of Conservation Voters. Ms. Sharpless has received notable awards for her efforts: the Clean Air Award and the Phillip S. Tow Government Award from the American Lung Association; and the Clean Air Award from the South Coast Air Quality Management District; and, the Richard Beatty Mellon Award from the Air and Waste Management Association.

2010 Recipients

Joan Denton, Ph.D. - Environmental Policy

Dr. Denton has 29 years of professional experience and consistent accomplishment in environmental health programs. She recently retired after 13 years as Director of the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. During this time she was responsible for the performance of scientific risk assessments for the regulation of chemicals in the environment, and for providing information about the health and environmental risks of chemicals to government agencies and the public. As Director she was also responsible for providing overall scientific guidance and consultation to the Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Cal EPA Boards and Departments. Dr. Denton was appointed and re-appointed as Director of OEHHA by 3 different governors. During her tenure at OEHHA she was instrumental in the identification of diesel particulate matter, environmental tobacco smoke, and lead as toxic air contaminants. California’s air quality standards for particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide were revised to include effects on sensitive populations, including children and infants. She also oversaw the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65. We are proud that Dr. Denton was at ARB prior to her serving as Director of OEHHA. She worked in a number of programs including, the identification of diesel particulate matter.

Bradley Edgar, Ph.D. - Emission Control Technologies

Dr. Edgar is co-founder and the President and Chief Technology Officer of Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, which is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. ARB’s diesel regulations have relied on the development and commercialization of retrofit technologies. Over the last decade, Dr. Edgar has pioneered important breakthroughs in developing advanced technologies to reduce diesel particulates and oxides of nitrogen. Cleaire has emerged as a leader in the diesel retrofit market, having received more than 10 Air Resources Board verifications for its products, and delivering more than 11,000 diesel retrofits into commercial use. Dr. Edgar began researching and working in the field of mechanical engineering nearly 20 years ago and has been the inventor or co-inventor for 11 United States Patents related to emission control technology. Dr. Edgar earned a reputation as an industry leader helping to deploy the technology needed to keep California’s air clean. He has demonstrated leadership in the California business community helping to solve environmental problems while also contributing to economic development and job growth. In 2008, Cleaire was awarded the Clean Air Award for Technology and Research by Breathe California in recognition of the company’s contribution to improving air quality.

John Froines, Ph.D. - Environmental Health Research

Dr. Froines has a long history of teaching and conducting research on air pollution-related health effects. He is a professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at UCLA, having joined the faculty of the School of Public Health in 1981. He holds several key positions in health sciences and toxicology programs including Director of the Southern California Particle Center and Supersite. He is Associate Director of the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center and Director of the UCLA Fogarty Program in Occupational and Environmental Health. Dr. Froines served as Director of UCLA’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences for 25 years and was Deputy Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health before coming to UCLA. He also Chairs California’s Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants; one of the major accomplishments of the panel under Dr. Froines’ leadership was the exhaustive review and recommendation to list diesel particulate emissions as a toxic air contaminant. Dr. Froines’ area of expertise is toxicology and exposure assessment. His air pollution-related research includes studying the health effects of exposure to particulate matter, lung cancer and non-cancer health effects attributable to air pollution, and the biochemical mechanism of the carcinogenicity of toxic air contaminants. Dr. Froines’ teaching and research is highly regarded for enhancing the understanding of toxic air contaminants and their health impacts. Through his dedication to translating scientific information in ways that are useful in public policy settings, his work has had a tremendous impact nationally and internationally. Last year, his strong commitment to outstanding research was recognized by the South Coast Air Quality Management District with a Clean Air Award for his Promotion of Good Environmental Stewardship.

2009 Recipients

Timothy Johnson, Sc.D. - Emission Control Technologies

Tim Johnson is the Director of Emerging Regulations and Technologies for Corning Environmental Technologies, Corning Incorporated. Dr. Johnson is responsible for tracking emerging mobile emissions regulations and technologies, and helps develop strategic positioning via new products. He has been with Corning for 20 years, with 10 years in the current position. He is an expert and frequent speaker on diesel emission control technology and trends. Dr. Johnson was recognized for his technical accomplishments in 2008 by being made a SAE International Fellow. He was instrumental in the development of the National Clean Diesel Program which is successfully controlling pollutants from millions of legacy diesel vehicles that continue to operate across the U.S. Dr. Johnson is quite active in various advisory committee roles. He is currently the co-chair for the U.S. EPA’s Advisory Working Group on Diesel Emission Control Retrofits. He is also a member of the U.S. EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, and the U.S. EPA Mobile Source Technical Review Subcommittee. Formerly he served on the U.S. EPA Clean Diesel Independent Review Panel, and California Air Resources Board International Diesel Retrofit Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Northeast Center for a Clean Air Future (NESCCAF/NESCAUM) board of directors, and he is on the Board of Advisors for the Center of Environmental Research and Technology at the University of California, Riverside. Finally, he recently edited the book, “Diesel Filter Technology”, published by SAE.

Margo Oge - Environmental Policy

Margo Oge is the Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ms. Oge has been with the U.S. EPA since 1980 and has held various management positions in the Agency. She also served as Legislative Aide to Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island, the minority ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee supporting various programs and bills relating to environmental issues. Under Ms. Oge’s leadership the U.S. EPA finalized three of the nation’s most significant environmental accomplishments; the clean Tier 2 motor vehicle and Gasoline Sulfur Program, the historic 2007 diesel truck, buses and diesel fuel rule and the recent finalized clean off road diesel program. These programs set more than 90% reduction in harmful pollutants emitted from cars, trucks, buses, construction, farming and industrial equipment and gasoline and diesel fuel. As a result these three rules alone are estimated to prevent more than 22,000 premature deaths and hundred of a thousand of respiratory illness. In 2004, Ms. Oge was a recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Executive Rank Award for her outstanding leadership on environmental transportation issues. She is also a previous winner of the Presidential Meritorious Award. In 2002, the Women's Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) honored Ms. Oge with its Woman of Achievement Award. Ms. Oge was recognized for her leadership in shepherding the Tier 2 and heavy duty diesel rules to fruition. She was the first nonpolitical appointee to receive this award.

John Peters, M.D., Sc.D. - Environmental Health Research

Dr. Peters is the Hastings Professor of Preventive Medicine in the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Environmental Health in the Department of Preventive Medicine. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology in UCLA’s School of Public Health. In his over 40 year career, Dr. Peters has published over 150 research papers, reports and chapters on subjects such as the health effects of air pollution, vinyl chloride and other chemicals in both the work and general environment. He is the principal investigator of the Children's Health Study, a landmark epidemiologic investigation to identify chronic health effects from exposure to air pollution in Southern California communities, which has followed 11,000 children for periods as long as 13 years. The study has led to broader public awareness of health actions needed to protect children’s health. He is also the principal investigator of a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) funded program project to continue to follow these children into adulthood. Dr. Peters has received many awards and recognition throughout his career. In June 2009, Dr. Peters received the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit. This award, the highest honor presented to alumni by the Harvard School of Public Health, recognizes leaders who advance the science of public health, improve its community practice, provide exceptional leadership of public health institutions, or contribute significantly to the training and accomplishments of the field’s future professionals. Dr. Peters was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars in 2004.

2008 Recipients

Alexander Farrell, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Science

Alex Farrell, whom we honor with a posthumous award, was at the center of a vibrant scholarly community of researchers and scientists and policy experts with a global reach. Farrell joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 2003 and became director of the campus's Transportation Sustainability Research Center in 2006. He was recognized internationally as a leading expert on transportation fuels and the role of transportation in climate change. His research interests included biofuels, hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, the low-carbon fuel standard and transportation sustainability. For the State of California, he was involved in the most central research and analysis projects for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and AB32, and he wrote and spoke frequently about plug-in hybrids. A passionate and articulate researcher, Farrell frequently offered fresh perspectives to frame problems and results, challenging academic colleagues as well as advocates of clean technology and climate policy. His communication style was open, simple, and direct, even when faced with the daunting task of distilling complex scientifically-based ideas to a policy audience. His dedication inspired hundreds of students and many more who followed his work. "He was one of the leading lights in the area of low-carbon fuels and energy systems, and his career was on a dramatic rise," said colleague Dan Kammen, a professor in the Energy and Resources Group and of public policy who helped recruit Farrell to UC Berkeley and co-authored many papers with him, including a just-released report on plug-in hybrid vehicles. "The trajectory of his career and his contributions were both impressive. Alex was a great mentor to the graduate students in the group as well as to students from across campus working on energy and sustainability."

Robert Sawyer, Ph.D. - Clean Air Technologies

Dr. Robert Sawyer is a pioneer in improving the environment through engineering solutions, and has made significant contributions to our understanding of air pollution. His active research—culminating in more than 350 technical publications and two books—is matched by his dedication to teaching and mentoring as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Sawyer was recently inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, which is among the highest professional distinctions. His service at the interface of science and civil society includes, most recently, his 2005-2007 Chairmanship of the Air Resources Board (CARB) where he guided the CARB through swift and substantive transitions, including the passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), which vested in CARB responsibility for reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020; Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order (S-01-07) to implement a Low Carbon Fuel Standard; and a Supreme Court decision that carbon dioxide is an air pollutant, which bolstered California’s court case to regulate tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases (under Assemblymember Fran Pavley’s AB 1493).

Henry Wedaa - Clean Air Policies

Henry “Hank” Wedaa has a life-long history of public service and working towards implementation of new technologies which help clean the air. He served eight terms on the Yorba Linda City Council, which included five non-consecutive years as Mayor of this north Orange County city located in Southern California. His career in local government included service on a wide variety of committees and boards including seven years on the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD’s) Governing Board, with four years as Vice-Chairman and three years as Chairman. Under his leadership the Board pushed for control of stationary source NO_X, resulting in major air quality improvements. As a result of SCAQMD’s many accomplishments during Mr. Wedaa’s leadership on the Board he was elected Chairman Emeritus. He also served as President of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and twelve years as Chairman of SCAG’s Aviation Committee. Mr. Wedaa is a major advocate for advanced technologies as former Chairman of the North American Clean Air Alliance for zero emission vehicles, a co-founder of Fuel Cells for Transportation, and past President of the California Association of Councils of Government. He is currently President of the California Hydrogen Business Council and also served as Vice-Chairman and Director of Hydrogen 2000, non-profit organizations devoted to education about and advocacy for hydrogen technologies.

2007 Recipients

James Hansen, Ph.D. - Atmospheric Science

Dr. James Hansen is the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) located in New York City. He is also Adjunct Professor in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Since the late 1970s, he has worked on studies and computer simulations of the Earth's climate, for the purpose of understanding the human impact on global climate. Hansen has collected and analyzed global surface temperatures and studied the Earth’s atmosphere since the 1970s. His research focuses on the development and application of global numerical models for the purpose of understanding current climate trends and projecting the potential human impact on climate. Dr. Hansen has published more than 100 scientific papers and numerous popular science articles. Dr. Hansen is best known for his testimony on climate change to congressional committees in the 1980s that helped raise broad awareness of the global warming issue. Dr. Hansen has been a lightning rod for climate-change science over the past three decades. As an inventive and outspoken scientist, he has been thrust into the limelight of our national debate over climate change. Dr. Hansen has examined both natural and human influences, from volcanoes to greenhouse gases to aerosols and dust, leaving no stone unturned in improving our understanding of climate change. He has welcomed collaborations with the paleo-climate community as a key to understanding climate sensitivity today. Dr. Hansen is a strong advocate for satellites to monitor climate change. Under his leadership, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies has developed into one of the top climate research laboratories in the world. His publications have proven original and long-lasting. Dr. Hansen was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1995. Dr. Hansen received the prestigious Heinz Environment Award for his research on global warming in 2001.

Alan Lloyd, Ph.D. - Clean Air Technologies

Dr. Alan Lloyd is the President of the International Council on Clean Transportation. Before his current position, he led the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) as its Secretary from 2004 to 2006 and the Air Resources Board as its chairman for five years. Dr. Lloyd served as the executive director of the Desert Research Institute for three years. Before then, Dr. Lloyd was the chief scientist of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for seven years. Dr. Lloyd began his association with air quality issues in California with a three year stint as Assistant Director of the Statewide Air Pollution Research Center. Dr. Lloyd helped to shape the research programs at both the SCAQMD and the ARB. Throughout his long and distinguished career in air pollution, he stressed scientific integrity and promoted research in atmospheric chemistry and emissions control development. While leading the Cal/EPA, he promoted sound scientific input into an open and consistent decision-making process. Dr. Lloyd led ARB in promulgating programs spurring development of new technologies and new approaches to emission controls and energy management. Examples of new technology initiatives Dr. Lloyd has supported are the fuel cell and hydrogen highway programs and new and innovative technologies to reduce diesel emissions such as research into diesel particulate traps. Through his leadership and perseverance, ARB’s sponsorship of clean air technologies has become a significant source of new and exciting start ups for emissions reduction technologies and for significant new air pollution monitoring and measurement programs. Dr. Lloyd's efforts have focused on the viable future of advanced technology and renewable fuels, with attention to urban air quality issues and global climate change. A proponent of alternate fuels, electric drive and fuel cell vehicles eventually leading to a hydrogen economy, Dr. Lloyd was the 2003 Chairman of the California Fuel Cell Partnership and is a co-founder of the California Stationary Fuel Cell collaborative.

Senator Fran Pavley - Environmental Policy

Ms. Pavley currently works with the Natural Resources Defense Council and will run for a seat in the California State Senate. Previously, she served three terms in the California State Assembly (2000-2006) and chaired the Air & Water Quality Committee and the Hydrogen & Other Alternative Fuels Committee. She has served on the California Coastal Commission (1995-2000) and was the first Mayor of Agoura Hills, where she also served as Mayor/Councilmember for four terms (1982-1997). During her tenure in the State Assembly, Ms. Pavley became known as one of the most effective legislators in Sacramento. Serving with integrity and vision, she had over 70 of her bills and resolutions become law. Ms. Pavley focused her efforts on education, the environment, consumer protection, public safety, and creating a clean, secure energy future for Californians. She sponsored landmark legislation on global warming that has become a model for other states and countries to follow. For example, 11 other states and Canada have modeled their laws after Ms. Pavley's Clean Car Regulations, (AB 1493, also known as the Pavley Bill), which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions from light-duty vehicles 30% by 2016. The "Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006" (AB 32), which she co-sponsored with Assembly Speaker Nuñez, will reduce GHG emissions in California 25% by 2020. This legislation will help spur an increased investment in alternative fuels, renewable energy and clean technologies. Her leadership on the most important environmental issue facing our world in the 21st Century has been recognized by many entities, including being selected as one of Scientific American's Top Technology Leaders in Transportation, and receiving the 2006 California League of Conservation Voters "Global Warming Leadership Award". Other major bills that Ms. Pavley sponsored include AB 2628 (Hybrids in HOV Lanes) to encourage hybrid vehicles, AB 1007 (Alternative Fuels) to diversify fuel supply, and AB 2276 (Indoor Air Cleaners) to reduce hazardous emissions from indoor air cleaning devices.

2006 Recipients

James Boyd - Environmental Policy

Mr. James Boyd is currently a Commissioner of the California Energy Commission where he actively seeks consensus to balance energy, economic, and environmental concerns with public health and welfare. His long and distinguished career as a public servant and air quality advocate includes serving as Deputy Secretary in the California Resources Agency, Assistant Director in the California Department of Fish and Game, Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board, and additional managerial positions in the Health and Welfare Agency, the Department of Health, the Department of Water Resources, and the Department of Finance. His foundational understanding of issues combined with his open and fair-minded approach to addressing concerns while resolutely moving forward to protect public health and welfare has earned the respect and admiration of all perspectives on complex issues. One of the biggest testaments to his professionalism and problem-solving skills is his 15-year tenure as the Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board, when he served five different Chairs and three Governors of varied political persuasions. At the Resources Agency, Mr. Boyd created and chaired the State’s first Joint Agency Climate Change Team and State Natural Gas Working Group. At the California Energy Commission, Mr. Boyd has overseen the critical Integrated Energy Policy Reports, and presently chairs the Transportation Fuels and Natural Gas Committees. Mr. Boyd is the state's liaison to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and California’s representative on the Border Governors' Conference Energy Worktable, and the Energy Commission’s representative on the Steering Team of the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the Board of Directors of CALSTART. He served on the Governor’s Hydrogen Highway Network Implementation Advisory Panel and presently serves on the Governors Climate Action Team. Mr. Boyd continues to be a key player for reducing future air pollutant emissions by advocating efficient energy use. He presently leads the Bioenergy Interagency Working Group that developed and is now implementing the Governor’s Bioenergy Action Plan. He is overseeing the Commissions efforts to develop alternative transportation fuels plans requested by the Governor and Legislature. Mr. Boyd has actively and insightfully participated on many and varied air quality associations, boards, commissions, and committees.

Axel Friedrich, Ph.D. - Emission Reduction Technologies

Dr. Axel Friedrich headed the Environment, Transport, and Noise Division of the German Environmental Protection Agency (Umweltbundesamt). He was the moving force behind the initial adaptation by Germany, and later Europe, of stringent standards for vehicles and fuels. From fuel savings with low rolling resistance tires to more than a 99% reduction in ultra-fine particle emissions from Euro V diesel trap filter programs, Dr. Friedrich and his staff of scientists and visionaries have pioneered the European emission reduction program through technological adaptation. Dr. Friedrich and his staff developed innovative ideas into aids for technological emission reductions by using tax incentives for early introduction of low emission technological advancements, monitoring real-world on-road emissions on a continuous basis, introducing robust programs for verifying promised emission reductions, and better quantifying the land use planning-road building impact on air quality. Dr. Friedrich was also the principal behind Germany’s mobile source emission inventory simulation programs now used throughout the European Union. Much of these emissions reductions can be attributed to Dr. Friedrich’s championing of new emission control technologies. His unselfish willingness to share his knowledge and expertise with the international community has helped reduce air pollution not only in Europe but also the Americas and Asia. He has also been a moving force in helping to guide the European Union toward its adaptation and implementation of aggressive programs to address greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. As the global threats posed by air pollution became more evident, he helped to launch World Bank programs to reduce air pollution in Asia and Latin America. Dr. Friedrich has a passionate interest in confronting air pollution and climate change on a global scale with comprehensive and multi-faceted approaches.

Arthur Winer, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Science

Dr. Arthur Winer is a Distinguished Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health. His career in air pollution research and teaching began in 1971 at UC Riverside’s Statewide Air Pollution Research Center (SAPRC) where he worked with Dr. James N. Pitts, Jr. and served as Associate Director of SAPRC from 1978 to 1986. Although his research interests have been diverse, topical, and extensively published in nearly 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, Dr. Winer’s legacy may be best defined by the remarkable number of graduate students he has mentored and taught to think critically about how to conduct air pollution research. He has trained a large fraction of the next generation of air pollution specialists who are addressing current air quality issues related to atmospheric chemistry, ozone, fine and ultra-fine particles, toxic air contaminants, biogenic emissions, global atmospheric processes, and the exposure of susceptible populations to a wide range of air pollutants. For nearly two decades, Dr. Winer has been a core faculty member in the UCLA Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) Program and was the Program’s Director and Chair between 1989 and 1997. He has provided academic and professional guidance to nearly all of the more than 200 alumni of the ESE Program. His influence is widely felt as ESE Program graduates fill important leadership positions at the Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Army Corp of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Winer has been selfless in supporting his students with his boundless time, energy and enthusiasm. Dr. Winer has actively served on many professional committees and advisory groups and has been a strong advocate for clean air quality. His scientific guidance has effectively informed and influenced air pollution policy in California, as well as nationally and internationally. Dr. Winer has been actively involved for over 35 years in air quality research, development of environmental policy, and the training of our air pollution scientists and policy-makers.

2005 Recipients

Timothy Belian - Emission Reduction Technologies

Mr. Timothy Belian, Executive Director of Coordinating Research Council (CRC), has devoted a career of 35 years in developing and managing cooperative research programs to enhance the performance of on-road vehicles, and the understanding of reducing vehicular emissions. Under Mr. Belian’s direction, CRC actively facilitates collaboration among academia, business, and government in addressing air quality problems related to reducing mobile source emissions. These efforts enable the pooling of knowledge and resources resulting in an effective approach to focus on critical issues. Mr. Belian is known for his insight, patience and consensus-building skills in bringing together appropriate government agencies and industries with widely divergent views and objectives to the table and coming up with solutions to protect public health.

William Carter - Air Pollution Science

Dr. Bill Carter is a distinguished research chemist at the Statewide Air Pollution Research Center, University of California, Riverside. Over the past 30 years, he has dedicated himself to study the photochemical mechanisms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides leading to the formation of ozone. Dr. Carter is a world leader in elucidating the photooxidation mechanisms and ozone-forming potential of VOCs. His findings on photooxidation mechanisms have long been incorporated as an essential element in most urban and regional airshed models. Reactivity scales devised by him have enabled air pollution control agencies to focus their regulatory efforts on VOCs with high ozone-forming potential. His lifetime work has made a long-lasting impact on how air pollution control strategies are formulated.

Curtis A. Moore - Clean Air Policies

Mr. Curtis Moore is an international consultant and writer on advanced environmental policies and technologies. He has been an ardent advocate for clean air throughout his career as a federal legislative lawyer and as a writer. For the past 25 years, he has engaged in environmental issues ranging from global warming to the toxic chemical “Superfund” program. He has served as a counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for 11 years and was instrumental in the development of what later became known as the 1990 U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments. Mr. Moore is an excellent writer with a skill for converting complex subjects and ideas into layperson’s language. He has authored many environmental articles reflecting many of his unique policy perspectives about environment protection, economy, urbanization, and resources sustainability. Along with Dr. David Bates, he co-authors the Health and Clean Air Newsletters, which covers major issues in air pollution.

2004 Recipients

Roger Atkinson, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. Roger Atkinson is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Department of Chemistry, and Director of the Air Pollution Research Center at the University of California, Riverside. His pioneering research in atmospheric reactions of radicals and organic chemicals has elucidated the chemistry responsible for the formation of ozone and other air pollutants. His 30 years of research and service on review panels are reflected in his more than 300 publications. His lifetime work has made a lasting impact on the way air pollution research is conducted, and how air pollution control strategies are formulated. Dr. Atkinson is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received many distinguished awards including Atmospheric Environment’s Haagen-Smit Award and the American Chemical Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology.

David Bates, M.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. David Bates was a Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Much of his 50-year medical career has been dedicated to research on many basic processes of lung physiology, growth, and defenses in response to air pollutants. He also initiated one of the first time-series studies of hospital admissions and air pollutants. His pioneering research to identify the adverse health effects of air pollution by employing population-based studies still serves as the model for researchers today. Dr. Bates was one of the top experts in the interpretation of the results of epidemiological studies relating air pollutants and their health effects on human populations. His views and advice were highly regarded by air pollution control agencies in formulating their public health policies. Dr. Bates was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and received numerous outstanding awards including the Order of Canada - Canada's highest civilian honor. Dr. Bates passed away on November 21, 2006.

Leon Billings - Environmental Policy

Mr. Leon Billings, as a principal staff member of the late U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie, played a pivotal role in the enactment of several landmark federal air and environmental laws. His role in getting the Clean Air Act and its amendments passed is well known across the country. He successfully resisted efforts to make the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws preemptive, thus preserving the ability of California to enact its own statutes and adopt more stringent regulations when necessary. Throughout his public and private careers, Mr. Billings not only mobilized efforts to defend the laws enacted, but also mounted campaigns to expand their effectiveness at the state and federal levels. Absent his efforts in the 1980s, it is likely that fundamental provisions of the Clean Air Act would have been effectively repealed. In the 1990s when federal air pollution programs were languishing, he helped kindle a spirit of innovation and commitment in state legislatures. For nearly 40 years, Mr. Billings has persistently pursued (sometimes as a lone crusader) a drive to reduce air pollution in not only the United States, but throughout the world.

2003 Recipients

John Seinfeld, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. John Seinfeld is the Louis E. Nohl Professor in the Divisions of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Engineering and Applied Science at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Seinfeld is widely acknowledged for his pioneering research in the field of atmospheric science, and academic role in mentoring many of today’s leading scientists. Through both experimental and theoretical studies, he has made numerous contributions to our knowledge of the chemistry of the urban atmosphere, the formation, growth, and dynamics of atmospheric aerosols, and the role of aerosols in climate. His contributions in the last three decades have made a significant impact on the way air pollution research is conducted, and how air pollution control strategies are formulated.

Michael Walsh - Mobile Source Emission Reductions

Mr. Michael Walsh is an internationally recognized advocate for regulating mobile source emissions. He has served as a technical and policy consultant to many foreign governments and industries in Asia, Europe, and South America. He is instrumental in leapfrogging the transfer of state-of-the-science mobile source control strategies and technologies around the world especially for developing nations. As an executive staff member at the U.S. EPA, Mr. Walsh played a key role in spearheading the federal program in reducing emissions from diesel engines. Through his ability to make technical information easy to understand and to convince policymakers to take the proper course of action, many developing countries have begun to implement effective mobile source control programs that will result in improved air quality for people around the world.

V. John White - Environmental Policy

Mr. John White is a major player in many landmark clean air policies enacted in California. He has worked fervently behind the scenes in the passage of the California Clean Air Act, the Toxic Air Contaminant Identification and Control Act (AB1807), Carl Moyer Program, and others. Recently, he played a key role in the passage of the Pavley Bill (AB1493) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles. Mr. White has been an ardent environmentalist in California for the past 20 years. His dedication to clean air causes has promoted a solid foundation for the continued protection of air quality and public health in California.

2002 Recipients

Mary Nichols - Environmental Policy

Mary Nichols has spent more than three decades as a leader of environmental organizations, and state and federal agencies. Ms. Nichols has been instrumental in helping to forge the nation’s, as well as the rest of the world’s, approach to environmental protection and to establish California as the environmental benchmark for the rest of the world. She took part in the California clean air movement in the early 1970s. Besides her accomplishments in the federal government and environmental organizations, her lasting impacts on California’s path to clean air were made during her previous tenure as the Chair of the Air Resources Board, from 1978-1983, and Secretary of Environmental Affairs. Ms. Nichols continues to lead the efforts to set environmental policies that have balanced approaches to improve public health and environmental quality with economic viability.

James Pitts, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. James Pitts has committed over 50 years of his career to promote and advance the cause of clean air. He is an internationally renowned atmospheric chemist. Following Dr. Haagen-Smit’s work on the mechanism of smog formation, Dr. Pitts led the efforts to establish the Statewide Air Pollution Research Center at the University of California, Riverside and served as the Center’s Director for 18 years. Under his leadership, research flourished and has provided much of the basis for our understanding of air pollution and its control. He mentored many scientists who also became productive and distinguished researchers in the field. Dr. Pitts has served on various committees and advisory boards related to air quality. He is a great lecturer and educator, an author and editor of numerous scientific publications, and a strong advocate of clean air.

2001 Recipients

John R. Holmes, Ph.D. - Air Pollution Research

Dr. John Holmes, a Science Advisor to the Chairman of the Board, is one of the pioneers in initiating the studies of photochemical smog. As Chief of CARB’s Research Division, Dr. Holmes administered an extensive, cutting edge research program recognized worldwide. His contributions in the last three decades had a tremendous impact on the way air pollution research is conducted; and how air pollution control strategies are formulated.

Senator Byron Sher - Environmental Policy

Senator Byron Sher has been an ardent environmentalist in the California Legislature for over 20 years. He has authored many landmark environmental laws, including the California Clean Air Act. His lifetime dedication to clean air causes has established a solid foundation for the continued protection of environmental resources as well as public health in California. Senator Sher's contributions to environmental law legislation have been instrumental in shaping California's role as a world leader in pollution control policy and technology.