Academician Kuo-Nan Liou passed away in the United States on March 20, 2021. He was 77 years old.

Dr. Liou was an internationally renowned scientist who dedicated his life’s work to atmospheric sciences and geophysics. After receiving his Ph.D. at New York University in 1970, Dr. Liou started his teaching career at the University of Utah in 1975. Later, he served at UCLA as Professor and Director of the Institute of Radiation and Remote Sensing, as well as Chair of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, while also founding the Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering in 2006.

Academia Sinica President James Liao expressed his profound condolences upon hearing the news of Dr. Liou’s passing, fondly recalling highly enjoyable and inspirational lunch meetings with Dr. Liou while both served as UCLA faculty, and Dr. Liou’s encouraging him to return to Taiwan. Dr. Liou was more than a great friend and colleague to President Liao; he was an admirable mentor.

Dr. Liou has produced significant contributions in areas such as atmospheric sciences, radiation science, earth system models, and cloud physics. Having published more than 250 research papers and 3 books, his impressive research contributions significantly advanced the development of modern atmospheric sciences and geophysics. In light of urgent climate change issues, Dr. Liou joined the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), receiving the Award Certificate from the Nobel Peace Prize for his IPCC Contributions.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Liou was bestowed with numerous honors, including election as member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition, Dr. Liou was not only a recipient of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)’s William Nordberg Medal and the International Radiation Commission (IRC) Gold Medal, but ranked among the few scientists who received the American Geophysical Union (AGU)’s Roger Revelle Medal and the American Meteorological Society’s Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal, both being the highest honors in their respective fields. Dr. Liou was elected Academia Sinica Academician in 2004.