James Randerson

James Randerson studies the global carbon cycle and ecosystem responses to climate change. He is recognized for advancing our understanding of the role of fires in the Earth System. In his work, he combines satellite observations with climate models to explore changes in the biosphere. Randerson was born in Fairfax, Virginia, and grew up in San Diego, California, where he attended Point Loma High School. He received a B.S. in chemistry (1992) and a Ph.D. in biological sciences (1998) from Stanford University. He conducted postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley and the University of Alaska before joining the faculty at Caltech. In 2003, Randerson moved to UC Irvine, where he now holds the position of Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Professor of Earth System Science. He received the James B. Macelwane Medal and the Piers J. Sellers Global Environmental Change Mid-Career Award from the American Geophysical Union. Randerson served as co-chair of the biogeochemistry working group of the Community Earth System Model from 2003-2017 and as a member of the Biological and Environmental Research Federal Advisory Committee for the U.S. Dept. of Energy Office of Science from 2011-2021. He is an American Geophysical Union Fellow and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.