In Memoriam: Dr. Robert E. Dickinson

Dear HAS Family & Friends, 

It is with profound sadness that I share with you the passing of our former colleague, friend, and mentor, Professor Emeritus Robert E. Dickinson, who passed away on September 11, 2026.

Bob was a valued member of the University of Arizona community and served as a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences for nine years before moving to the Georgia Institute of Technology and, subsequently, The University of Texas at Austin. His time at the University of Arizona was an important part of his distinguished career and of the history of atmospheric and climate sciences at the University.

Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Bob spent 22 years as a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). He later served as a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech for nine years and then joined the Jackson School at The University of Texas at Austin in 2008, where he remained until his retirement in 2018. He received his B.S. in chemistry and physics from Harvard University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from MIT.

Throughout his illustrious career, Bob received numerous awards and honors from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1988 and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2002 and was elected a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2006. For more about his remarkable and pioneering career, please see his Wikipedia page and the obituary published by the AGU.

Bob was a true giant in climate system science, atmospheric dynamics, and Earth system modeling. His pioneering scientific contributions helped shape our understanding of the climate system and influenced generations of researchers. He was also an exceptional mentor and a generous and valued colleague, remembered by many for his intellectual curiosity, scientific insight, and commitment to advancing the field.

Bob’s connection to the University of Arizona remained an important part of his career and legacy. His spouse, Dr. Rong Fu, was also a faculty member in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona before joining the Jackson School at UT Austin in 2008. She has been a Professor in Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences at UCLA since 2016.

I would like to express my sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to Rong and to Bob’s family, as well as to his many friends, colleagues, collaborators, and mentees around the world, including those in the University of Arizona community.

With deep sympathy,