In 1990, the first summer session at AGCI brought together thirty-eight participants from three countries. One goal of the first summer session was to provide an environment where scientists and educators with different specialties could gather to compare differences and commonalities among their work and seek areas of collaboration. The workshops AGCI held during its first decade were generally between one and two weeks long, and the informal setting was highly conducive to this interdisciplinary goal. Active dialogue developed between participants as diverse as teachers, biologists, atmospheric chemists, climatologists, solar physicists, glaciologists, ecologists, and a range of social scientists. Workshops during this decade covered a variety topics, but, in reflection of the direction of the scientific community, special emphasis was placed on: emerging technologies such as remote sensing, development of coupled Earth systems models, identification of future research priorities, and the need for management methods for observational data. During this time, AGCI was also working in the field of education and outreach. Recognizing the increasing importance that remote sensing would likely play in Earth sciences, AGCI produced a handbook with a grant from NASA, designed with a primer on global change and remote sensing for teachers and age appropriate activities for elementary and secondary grade levels. The Handbook when coupled with satellite and aerial photography helped students gain an understanding of remote sensing and the role it plays in observing change on Earth. The Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook was published in 1992 and presented to educators across the nation in teacher training workshops.

During the decade of the 2000’s, the United States Global Change Research Program took on a climate focus coordinating research among 13 Federal Agencies as the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. During the decade there continued to be an expansion of Earth observing systems internationally, as new satellites were launched into orbit and ground and ocean observation technologies like the Argo ocean buoys were deployed. At AGCI, workshops over this decade explored a variety of themes, with several workshops focusing on human impacts on biogeochemical cycles and human induced climate change. Other topics included the related fields of assessing uncertainty, new coupled modeling systems, and weather and extreme events. Climate was also a hot topic at a local level, and in 2006 AGCI generated a report called Climate Change and Aspen: An Assessment of Impacts and Potential Responses. The report applied current models and projections to the Aspen region and explored potential impacts and vulnerabilities of climate change in a locally relevant way.

As AGCI moves into its third decade, it’s mission has remained more relevant than ever. The magnitude of planetary change has intensified as evidenced by carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere crossing the 400ppm mark, biodiversity loss on land, ocean acidification, and a growing human population—all just some of the critical global changes we experience. Building on workshops in the 2000’s on how to make science more relevant to society, while at the same time supporting the international teams working on the improvement of climate (GCMs) and Earth system models (ESMs), AGCI has played a key role in coordinating research teams on the emerging field of decadal climate prediction. Workshops have explored the role of the sun in affecting Earth and its climate, how climate change affects sea-level rise and mountain environments, experimental design for the next generation of climate models (Climate Model Intercomparison Project - CMIP) reported on by the UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the role of mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Marking our 25th anniversary, AGCI held a workshop on the Frontiers of Global Change Science — looking back over the advances of the past 25 years and looking forward toward the global change research frontier and its role in society. To learn more about our current projects and future trajectory, sign up at the bottom of this page to receive AGCI’s newsletter.