Banerjee Receives AGU Global Environmental Change Early Career Award
Sept. 24, 2025 - Tirtha Banerjee, UC Irvine associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, has just won the 2025 AGU Global Environmental Change Early Career Award. AGU is the world's largest Earth and space science association. The Global Environmental Change Early Career Award is presented annually and recognizes outstanding contributions in research, educational and societal impacts in global environmental change.
Banerjee leads the Boundary Layer and Turbulence Lab and is well-known for his leading work on the physics of turbulence and its role in governing ecosystem–atmosphere exchanges and wildfire dynamics. His research has revealed how ecosystems exchange mass, momentum, and energy with the atmosphere, and how these turbulent processes shape the spread of disturbances such as wildfires.
Banerjee has become a leader in wildfire science. He has pioneered lab and field experimental studies as well as modeling approaches to uncover the complex motions within wildfire turbulence, analyzed long-term data to track changing fire regimes, and developed new methods to assess and reduce risks in fire-prone landscapes. His work also contributes to prescribed fire research, creating tools to support safe and effective fuel management.
“I am truly honored to receive this prestigious award, and deeply grateful to my mentors, students, and colleagues who have shaped and supported my journey,” said Banerjee. “This recognition is especially encouraging for those of us focused on understanding the fundamental physics of turbulence and ecosystem–atmosphere interactions at small scales. By studying these processes, from the way forests ‘breathe’ to how wildfires spread, we are uncovering essential principles of the natural world while developing knowledge that can guide safer and more resilient landscapes.”
Banerjee joins a distinguished group of scientists, leaders and communicators recognized by AGU for advancing science that benefits the global environment. Honorees will be recognized at AGU25, which will convene in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 15-19, 2025. AGU is a global community supporting more than half a million advocates and professionals in the Earth and space sciences.
- Natalie Tso
