Dr. James G. Hudson, an atmospheric physicist in the Desert Research Institute's Atmospheric Sciences Center, has received the 1998 Alessandro Dandini Medal of Science. The medal, a minted silver medallion accompanied by a $1,000 prize from Dandini's widow, Countess Angela Dandini, recognizes the institute's top scientist each year as selected by his peers.
Hudson's research has produced groundbreaking work in understanding the role of minute particles called cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). CCN are critical to atmospheric processes such as cloud formation and precipitation and influence the amount of solar energy reflected back into space by clouds, possibly offsetting some of the impact of the global warming due to "greenhouse gases."
Hudson's work has also examined the extent to which air pollutants--the source of much of the CCN found over continental land masses and transported long distances over the oceans--are affecting weather and climate. In his 22 years at DRI, Hudson has developed new instrumentation and made extensive ground and airborne measurements of CCN in many parts of the world.