
Ilissa Ocko, PhD
CLIMATE SCIENTIST
Environmental Defense Fund
1875 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 600
Washington, DC 20009
Phone 212 616 1228
Email iocko@edf.org
Hello! I'm Ilissa.
I am a Sr. Climate Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, where I pursue climate science research and provide scientific guidance for climate change communication and policy. My research uses models to understand how different human activities contribute to climate change and how different actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can benefit the climate. I am committed to communicating science to non-experts using plain language and powerful visuals, and recently represented the U.S. in an international science communications contest.
RESEARCH
SOLUTIONS
Exploring
HOW TO CURB CLIMATE CHANGE
My research involves employing reduced-complexity climate models and climate metrics to determine the most effective ways to limit warming in both the near-term and long-term by reducing both short-lived and long-lived climate pollutants, including carbon dioxide, methane, and black carbon.
+ Ocko et al., Unmask temporal trade-offs in climate policy debates, Science (2017)
IMPACTS
Understanding
HOW THE CLIMATE RESPONDS TO CLIMATE POLLUTANTS
My research focuses on exploring the thermal, hydrological, and dynamical responses to both well-mixed greenhouse gases, spatially variable tropospheric aerosols, and stratospheric aerosols.
+ Ocko et al., Contrasting climates responses to the scattering and absorbing features of anthropogenic aerosol forcings, J. Climate (2014)
CAUSES
Determining
HOW HUMAN-CAUSED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS AFFECT ENERGY BALANCE
I use observational and model-derived data to understand how aerosols and greenhouse gases impact Earth's radiative balance.
OUTREACH
WRITTEN
Blogs & Tweets
I LOVE TURNING JARGON INTO PLAIN LANGUAGE
Translating scientific jargon and information into accessible plain language is something that I do often. As a scientist working at an environmental NGO, a lot of my interactions are with non-scientists (policymakers, lawyers, members, donors, and more). I write numerous blog posts and maintain a Twitter account that shares only "good" climate news. I have also helped develop a climate change exhibit at UCAR/NCAR.
+ Check out some blog posts
+ Check out the Twitter account @goodclimatenews
VISUAL
Infographics
MY BIGGEST PASSION IS DESIGNING INFOGRAPHICS
I love to organize complex aspects of climate change and other scientific information into beautiful, accessible graphics as they are a powerful tool for learning and retaining information. My love for art and design coupled with my scientific knowledge makes designing infographics the perfect hobby. Several of my graphics have been published in news and magazine articles, blog posts, scientific papers, and reports, and I maintain an Instagram account where I post graphics to promote climate and energy awareness.
+ Check out some infographics
+ Check out the Instagram account @theclimatepicture
ORAL
Speaking & Competing
I TRY TO INSPIRE AND ENGAGE AUDIENCES OF ALL KINDS
I am a very animated and passionate speaker, and really try to connect with my audience. I've talked at middle and high schools, Churches, a music festival, to banks and lawfirms, libraries, a rap show, and on radio programs. I also enjoy participating in science communication challenges and contests, and recently won the NASA-sponsored FameLab contest (“American Idol” for scientists), representing the USA in the international competition and advancing to the finals.
+ Check out some presentations
AFFILIATIONS
HOBBIES
EDUCATION
PhD, Princeton University
Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
My dissertation, with Dr. V. Ramaswamy as my advisor, focused on the contrasting and complementary features of climate responses to human-caused scattering and absorbing aerosols. I used global climate models, corroborated by ground-based and satellite measurements, to isolate climate responses to individual aerosols and greenhouse gases. I was supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and won the Emerging Alumni Scholars Award. I also received a certificate in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School.
MA, Princeton University
Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
I began graduate school researching aerosols in the Arctic, both how they are transported there from mid-latitudes and how they influence the energy balance. I was supported by the American Meteorological Society Industry/ Government Graduate Fellowship, and specifically, the NOAA Climate Program Office. I also earned two summer school certificates: Arctic Climate Change Certificate from University Centre in Svalbard, and Physics of the Climate System Certificate from Utrecht University.
BSE, University of Michigan
Earth System Science & Engineering
I was fortunate to have some amazing mentors and some incredible internships and research assistantships. Some of my favorite experiences include traveling to Greenland to learn about climate science, interning at the NOAA Earth System Research Lab as a Hollings Scholar (how I met my husband!), and participating in an REU at the University of Michigan Bio Station. Aside from research, I was co-president of the Society of Undergraduate Earth System Scientists and Engineers, and the Chief Meteorologist of a news show on a student-run television network.