SPEAKER: William Gray

CSU Director of the Tropical Meteorology Project, National Hurricane Expert

Professor Gray has worked in the observational and theoretical aspects of tropical meteorological research for more than 50 years.   Gray received his Ph. D. from the University of Chicago under renowned hurricane researcher Herbert Riehl.  He has been with the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University since 1961.  He has specialized in the global aspects of tropical cyclones for his entire professional career.  Current areas of research include:  1) tropical cyclone structure, movement and intensity change; 2) seasonal hurricane prediction; 3) meso-scale tropical weather systems; 4) diurnal variability of tropospheric vertical motions; 5) ENSO variability and 6) climate change research. 

Professor Gray pioneered Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts which he has been issuing for the last 25 years.  He has advised over 50 successful M.S. graduates and over 20 successful Ph.D. graduates.  He has received numerous awards including the Neil Frank Award from the National Hurricane Conference and the Banner I. Miller and Jule Charney Awards from the American Meteorological Society.  He was also ABC TV’s “Person of the Week” in September 1995.  He has been an author on over 80 published papers and over 60 extensive research reports