The David Randall Symposium will take place during the 107th AMS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO, on January 14, 2027.

David Randall received his B.S. and M.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1971 and his Ph.D in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976 under the guidance of Akio Arakawa. He began his professional career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from 1976-1979. From 1979 to 1988, Randall was a Meteorologist in the Global Modeling and Simulation Branch, at NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center. He joined the faculty in the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, in 1988, where he is currently a University Distinguished Professor. To date, he has advised or co-advised 29 Ph.D. and 30 M.S. students.

David Randall is an atmospheric scientist with research interests in general circulation mod-eling, cloud parameterization, cloud-radiation-climate feedbacks, boundary-layer/stratocumulus clouds, moist convection/tropical variability, and multiscale modeling/superparameterization. Randall has been recognized by the American Meteorological Society at multiple stages of his career, including election as an AMS Fellow in 1986, and recipient of the Meisinger Award in 1994, the Jule Charney Award in 2014, and the Warren Washington Research and Leadership Medal in 2024. His broader scientific recognition includes NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1988, NASA’s Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 2006, election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2001, and election as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2002.

Randall has also played major leadership roles in national and international climate-science activities. He served as a Coordinating Lead Author for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and as a Coordinating Lead Author for the Fifth Assessment Report. He directed the NSF Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes from 2006 to 2016, served as Chief Editor of Journal of Climate from 1995 to 2004, and was Founding Chief Editor of the Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems from 2008 to 2014. His service also includes membership on the UCAR Board of Trustees, leadership roles in AMS, AGU, GEWEX, ARM, and DOE advisory activities, and chairing or co-chairing several major scientific panels and committees.

he 2026 David Randall Symposium celebrates Professor Randall’s extraordinary career as one of the leading atmospheric scientists of his generation. Over a career spanning MIT, NASA Goddard, and Colorado State University, Randall has helped define how the field thinks about clouds, radiation, convection, turbulence, and their roles in climate. His sci-entific legacy rests not only on individual discoveries, but also on a sustained effort to con-nect physical understanding with better atmospheric models, from stratocumulus-topped boundary layers and cumulus parameterization to cloud-climate feedbacks and multiscale modeling. Equally important has been his role as a mentor and community builder, through the many students and collaborators he has influenced, his leadership of the NSF Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes, and his broad service to journals, sci-entific programs, and climate assessments. This symposium honors the depth, originality, and lasting impact of Randall’s science, as well as the community of researchers shaped by his ideas and example.

The symposium will feature invited and contributed oral presentations, a poster session, and a special luncheon where colleagues and friends can honor David’s lasting impact on the field. Speakers will include those who have collaborated with David, have been influenced by David or his work, or are engaged in research aligned with his contributions. The symposium provides a unique opportunity for participants to reflect on David’s significant contributions to general circulation modeling, cloud parameterization, and cloud-climate interactions and explore future research directions.