Lozier Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Susan Lozier, dean and the Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences, has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is among 276 artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors who will be inducted Oct. 9-11.

The Academy was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and others to honor exceptionally accomplished individuals and engage them in advancing the public good. Lozier, an expert in physical oceanography with an interest in large-scale ocean circulation, is being recognized for decades of extraordinary work.

“It’s incredibly humbling to be recognized by members of this arts and sciences community, given its rich history,” Lozier said. “I have always balked at the myth that science is the journey of a lone individual as I have enjoyed working with students, postdocs, and colleagues over the years and have gained immeasurably from those interactions. Since I view science as a community effort, building on the work that others have done and laying the foundation for the future, being recognized by the community is particularly gratifying.”

Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, said, “Susan Lozier is an extraordinary leader and scholar — very much the type of individual Georgia Tech wants in its ranks. When she accepted the position of dean of Sciences, I was extremely happy — I expected her to propel the College of Sciences to bigger and better things. After a few months, I am absolutely sure that Susan will be extremely successful at Georgia Tech. It is a true pleasure and honor to work with her.”

Lozier’s research focuses on the ocean’s role in climate variability and climate change. She is the international lead for a large ocean observing system — spanning from Labrador to Scotland — that measures the heat and freshwater exchange between the North Atlantic and the Arctic.  

She received an NSF Early Career Award in 1996, was named an American Meteorological Society Fellow in 2008, a Distinguished Professor at Duke in in 2012, a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 2014, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2015, and received AGU’s Ambassador Award in 2016 for leadership in the ocean sciences community. She became dean of Georgia Tech’s College of Sciences on Sept. 1, 2019.

“Like most everyone else, I have never focused on awards,” Lozier said. “I have always been very interested in my studies of the ocean, and in making sure that other people in the community have the same opportunities that I have had. I always thought that if you do good work the recognition will follow, but the main emphasis has been on the work and the people. I have a very strong interest in mentoring the younger generation.”

Lozier said she is proudest of the students she has worked with and mentored through the years.

“I consider them the tendrils of my work,” she said. “I feel very much a part of their lives. They have gone on to have careers, families, and children, and for me that is the most satisfying part of my academic career.” 

Lozier joins six other current Georgia Tech faculty who are members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences: Randall Engle, 2018; Arkadi Nemirovski, 2018; Richard Lipton, 2014; Zvi Galil, 2005; James Meindl, 1992; and Mostafa El-Sayed, 1986.