History of AGCI A planning workshop in 1989 at the founding of AGCI was attended by leading scientists and educators to create the mission for the Institute. The group first described what they thought was lacking from existing institutions. Four key points emerged: There was no useful forum for a vigorous interdisciplinary dialogue on global change. Climate scientists attended narrowly-focused professional meetings surrounded by other climate scientists. Ecologists would do much the same. Learning across the disciplines was at a trickle in the government research labs and at universities. The complex dynamic systems of the Earth cannot be understood from the point of view of single system analysis. Biologists, atmospheric chemists, and climate modelers must work together if there is to be a more complete understanding of Earth dynamics. Social scientists must have the opportunity to work together with natural scientists so that the human dimension of global change as an emerging science would not be left in isolation. For example, emission scenarios for the climate models require useful inputs from economists, demographers, and experts on technological innovation. Social scientists have equally important insights into the forces that drive habitat fragmentation. Working together a more informed view of global change would emerge. The level of understanding of global change by the public, in the schools, and at the highest levels of decision-making and national and international policy making was woefully lacking. Educational initiatives must have access to the best science as it keeps evolving, not locked into out-of-date textbooks, if taught at all. Good scientific understanding of global change would contribute to better policy formation. It was agreed that AGCI would move forward to provide the much-needed forum to bring together biologists, ecologists, oceanographers, atmospheric chemists, climate experts along with political scientists, demographers, population dynamicists, anthropologists, sociologists, and educators. In 1990 our first summer program began, followed by eleven years of exciting work in interdisciplinary science and the implications for policy. It was also agreed that AGCI would develop educational materials for teachers, conduct teacher trainings and provide public talks on topics in global change to the general public through a lecture series in honor of Walter Orr Roberts, founder of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. A typical AGCI summer session will have intense discussion on the merits of the research being presented with enough time available for cross-disciplinary learning. Working groups actively form new projects for post-session work. While the format is informal, it encourages top researchers from all career stages. Participants have included, a Nobel laureate, MacArthur “genius” recipients, members of the National Academy of Science as well as young researchers just beginning their careers. Without consideration to rank or tenure, they engaged in the relevance of the work being presented and what it implies for future research, global change understanding, and better policy. Back to 'About AGCI