Professor Caleb Scharf Wins Carl Sagan Medal for Public Science Communication

Professor Caleb Scharf, a senior research scientist at the Columbia Climate School, was awarded the 2022 Carl Sagan Medal, which honors “outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public.”

The medal is awarded by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society to “scientists whose efforts have significantly contributed to a public understanding of, and enthusiasm for, planetary science.”

The award is named for the late Carl Sagan, an astronomer who spent most of his career at Cornell University. Sagan achieved widespread public recognition for the 1980 documentary television series Cosmos, a show that explored the history of the universe and the origins of life, and which was for many years the most watched show in the history of public television. Sagan was also known for public appearances, including more than two dozen guest spots on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.

In a statement announcing this year’s prize, the astronomical society praised Scharf for “broadening public awareness of fields from astrophysics and planetary science to astrobiology, and for stimulating insightful and balanced public conversation on the implications of contemporary research.”

“Dr. Scharf is a prolific writer, having written articles in Scientific American that reach a large number of people,” the announcement said. “He has also written a widely used textbook on extrasolar planets and is a highly regarded author of popular science books on astrobiology, astronomy, and technology. He served on the editorial board of Nautilus science magazine and has contributed to a number of movies, documentaries, and popular television shows on science, inspiring many people.”