Marilyn Raphael
Marilyn N. Raphael is a Trinidadian climatologist, best known for her work on climate change and variability in the high latitude southern hemisphere. She is a professor and former chair of the Department of Geography at UCLA, has authored an award-winning text, and sits in leadership positions on a number of international polar research initiatives. Early life and education. Raphael was born and grew up in Trinidad and Tobago. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from McMaster University in 1984, and a Master of Arts and PhD in Geography (1990) from Ohio State University. Her  PhD work focused on atmospheric circulation and sensible heat flux in the Northern Hemisphere. Career. Raphael's research interests are global climate change and variability, specifically climate dynamics in the middle and high latitude of the Southern Hemisphere and the interaction between Antarctic sea ice and the atmosphere. Her research uses global climate models and also large-scale observational databases. Raphael has been teaching at UCLA since 1998 and spent time as departmental chair (2010-2013). Notable courses include: Climatology, Environmental Impact Analysis, Seminar - Environmental Studies, Tropical Climatology, and Issues in Geographical Inquiry. Influences. Growing up, education was of the  utmost importance for Raphael. Her mother was one of the key driving factors for pushing an education because she saw that education was the key to advancing in life. Raphael's path to climatology specifically was internally driven; however, she had people in her life that served as role models and mentors. Her high school teacher as well as her undergraduate adviser were both very encouraging of her pursuits into the geosciences. Raphael's interest in the Southern Hemisphere specifically came about when she was pursuing her PhD in Geography. Positions and accomplishments. Marilyn N. Raphael is a professor in  the Department of Geography at UCLA and is a former chair of the department, serving between 2010 and 2013. Raphael is a co-chair of the Science Committee of Antarctic Research (SCAR) expert group Antarctic Sea Ice Processes and Climate (ASPeCt). She is also a co-lead of the World Climate Research Programme's Polar Climate Predictability Initiative. Raphael has also served on the National Research Council’s Committees on Future Science Opportunities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and Stabilization Targets for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations. Raphael's co-authored book, "The Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change: A  Complete Visual Guide", received an Atmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) Choice Award in 2010.