Episode 5: Marshall Shepherd

Deep Convection

Before Marshall Shepherd was bitten by the weather bug, he wanted to be an entomologist. But as luck would have it (at least for the fields of weather and climate science), Marshall changed his sixth-grade science project from honey bees to weather prediction after he had found out that he was highly allergic to bee stings. That science project marked the beginning of Marshall’s passion for weather, which has led him to become professor of geography and atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia.
Marshall is particularly well known for his work on urban weather and climate, where he has shown that large urban areas can have a more substantial impact on the atmosphere than had been previously though — that is, cities can make their own weather to some extent. In addition to doing research and teaching, Marshall hosts his own podcast, Weather Geeks, which grew out of the award-winning Sunday talk show he did for some years on the Weather Channel. He writes a regular column for Forbes, and does a lot of service to the scientific community at the highest levels — e.g., he served as President of the American Meteorological Society in 2013. In between all of these activities, Marshall regularly finds the time to testify before Congress and provide expertise to federal agencies.
To Marshall, public outreach and service is an integral part of being a scientist:

“I’ve actually been working or pushing really hard to try to advocate that engagement and service becomes more of a part of that sort of calculus for things like promotions and tenure because I don’t view it as something extra when I do these things. I view it […] as a synthesis of a broader mission that we have.”

The interview with Marshall Shepherd was recorded in August 2020. Photo credit: Nancy Evelyn

• Marshall’s website at the University of Georgia, and his personal website
• His recently published book, The Race Awakening of 2020: A 6-Step Guide for Moving Forward
• The Weather Geeks podcast
• Marshall’s TEDx talk on biases that shape our worldview
• Marshall’s articles in Forbes