Kelvin Droegemeier, professor of atmospheric science and special advisor to the chancellor for science and policy, will deliver the 2027 LAS Dean’s Distinguished Lecture at 4 p.m. on March 11 at Alice Campbell Alumni Center. He has titled the presentation “The American Research and Education Enterprise: Changes, Challenges, Opportunities, and Unknowns.”
The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series sets up an annual presentation from a distinguished faculty member at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Previous presentations have covered subjects in classics, chemistry, anthropology, communications, history, and biology.
The lectures began in 2019. Last year’s lecture featured Kara Federmeier, professor of psychology, who spoke about how words form meaning in the brain.
“I’m super excited about the opportunity to give this talk, and at this point in time, I plan to talk about the future of America’s research enterprise, various planning efforts underway, and the outlook for America’s universities,” Droegemeier said.
Droegemeier is a U of I alum, having earned his master’s (1982) and doctorate (1985) in atmospheric sciences here. He’s gone far since then, from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C., before returning to his alma mater as a professor and special advisor in 2023.
He was a member of the University of Oklahoma faculty for nearly four decades — one decade of which he served as their vice president for research. He served on the National Science Board from 2004 to 2016. He served as the Governor’s Cabinet Secretary of Science and Technology in Oklahoma, and as acting director of the National Science Foundation in 2020. Additionally, he was the 10th director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House, serving from 2019 to 2021.
His research areas include satellite and radar remote sensing, thunderstorm dynamics and hazards, and weather and climate risk.
