GESTAR II Seminar Series with Dr. Paul Newman

Join us for a virtual seminar by Dr. Paul Newman (GESTAR II/UMBC), NASA GSFC Emeritus. His talk is titled "What’s the “Hole” Ozone Story: Science to Policy."

Date and Time: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 11:00am EST

Abstract: "Ozone is the Earth’s natural sunscreen, absorbing biologically harmful solar ultraviolet radiation. In this presentation we will cover some ozone basics. What is ozone, where is it located, and what role does this trace gas play in our atmosphere? Ozone science history will be touched upon, leading up to the discovery of the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) impact on the ozone layer by Molina and Rowland (1974). Policy began evolving after 1974, culminating in the landmark Vienna Convention (1985) and Montreal Protocol (1987). The Antarctic ozone hole was discovered in 1985, and scientists quickly responded to explain this continental scale depletion. Science and policy have continued to interact, and a broad collection of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) have now been controlled under the Montreal Protocol. NASA missions have played a key role in ozone science, and new issues have emerged as threats to the ozone layer. In particular, the recently awarded Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer (STRIVE) Mission will be launched in 2030."

Biography: Dr. Paul A. Newman studies the Earth’s atmosphere and, particularly, the ozone layer. He has been a research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County since February 2025. 

Dr. Newman was the Chief Scientist for Earth Sciences (2015-2025) and Chief Scientist for Atmospheric Sciences (2010-2015) in the Earth Sciences Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He joined NASA in 1990 as a research scientist in NASA/GSFC’s Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch. He was the co-chair (2007-2023) of the Scientific Assessment Panel for the “Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer” - the landmark international treaty banning ozone-depleting substances to protect Earth’s ozone layer. Dr. Newman is a NASA Goddard Senior Fellow, was Vice President of the International Ozone Commission (IOC, 2016-2024), and the President of the Atmospheric Sciences Section of the American Geophysical Union (2020-2022). Dr. Newman retired from NASA in January 2025 to a NASA GSFC Emeritus position, and joined UMBC in February 2025. 

A Seattle native, he earned his Bachelor of Physics at Seattle University in 1978, and his Doctorate in Physics at Iowa State University in 1984. Dr. Newman was a National Research Council postdoctoral researcher at NASA Goddard, worked for several years as science contractor, and became a NASA civil servant scientist in 1990.

Dr. Newman has authored 253 refereed scientific journal papers and 25 peer-reviewed reports, including several significant studies of atmospheric ozone and the UNEP/WMO Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion. He was a primary participant in 21 NASA aircraft missions for atmospheric research and was a project scientist on 14 of those campaigns. 

Dr. Newman’s awards include the Arthur S. Flemming Award (2002), the Environmental Protection Agency Ozone Protection Award (2009), Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2010) and the American Meteorological Society (2012), the American Geophysical Union Bjerknes Lecturer (2011), the American Geophysical Union Charney Lecturer (2018), the Montreal Protocol’s Scientific Achievement Award (2017), the United Nations Environment’s Champion of the Earth Award (2017), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2017), the American Meteorological Society’s Cleveland Abbe Award for Distinguished Service to the Atmospheric and Related Sciences (2021), and the Outstanding Service to the Montreal Protocol (2023). His awards also include 26 NASA group achievement awards.

Visit the GESTAR II Seminar Series site for more information on upcoming and previous speakers.