By Kathrina Antonio

Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, Senior Scientist Emeritus at the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, delivered a lecture on climate types and climate change in the Philippines today, August 27, at the MMSU Center for Flexible Learning. This event was organized in collaboration with the MMSU Research Directorate, Planning Directorate, and Sustainability and Futures Thinking which highlighted the university's commitment to addressing global environmental challenges.

During the opening program, MMSU President and incoming CHED Commissioner Shirley C. Agrupis expressed her gratitude and pride in hosting Dr. Comiso, underscoring the significance of his visit. “Dr. Comiso’s return to MMSU is special for us. As a Filipino who has made significant contributions to global climate science, he embodies the excellence and leadership that we strive to instill in our students,” she expressed.

Prior to the program, Dr. Comiso paid a courtesy call to Dr. Agrupis at the Ferdinand E. Marcos hall. “Dr. Comiso’s visit is a testament to MMSU’s academic achievements and our shared commitment to confronting the global challenge of climate change,” Dr. Agrupis stated.

Drawing on his extensive experience in studying the Earth's polar regions, Dr. Comiso delivered a comprehensive analysis of the global impacts of climate change. He emphasized, “It is important to recognize the different climate types and their boundaries in order to utilize them effectively.” His pioneering work, enhanced by satellite technology, has provided long-term data critical for understanding the scope and consequences of polar ice melt, inspiring a new wave of climate change research. 

Furthermore, Dr. Comiso stressed the vital role of international cooperation in climate science, noting that the challenges posed by climate change are too vast and complex for any single nation to tackle alone. He also highlighted information on precipitation of climate types, satellite monitoring on super typhoons, topographical map of the Philippines, and coverage of the Synoptic station among other topics. 

Present at the event were Dr. Bjorn Santos, vice president for resource generation and management, Dr. Cristina Valentin,  Regional Research and Training Center for Climate Change Studies chief, including participants from COE, CAS, CAFSD, Research Directorate and National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center. 

Dr. Comiso, renowned for his research on deep ocean convection and the influence of polynyas and Odden on bottom water formation, phytoplankton blooms, and relationships with the sea ice cover and climate change signals as revealed by the changing sea ice cover and accelerated warming in the Arctic region. He served as the chief scientist in many NASA aircraft missions in the Arctic and Antarctic and has been the recipient of several NASA awards, including the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.