Former president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Ralph Cicerone died on November 5 at the age of 73, according to an article from Earth and Space Science News. Cicerone, who served as NAS president from July 2005 through June of this year, was considered a world authority on atmospheric chemistry and climate change.
According to the article, Cicerone was instrumental in landmark climate change research studies, including one at the request of then President George W. Bush. As president of NAS, Cicerone established the $500 million Gulf Research Program following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, hosted two visits to the academy by President Barack Obama and reportedly helped increase gender diversity at NAS. He served as chancellor of the University of California (UC), Irvine, from 1998 to 2005, prior to his appointment to the academy.
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