Michael E. Mann
Tyler Prize Laureate 2019
Reconstructing the past to protect our climate future
Quick Facts
Born: December 28, 1965, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Affiliation at the time of the award: Pennsylvania State University
Environmental achievement: Recognized for investigating climate dynamics and variability, identifying historic patterns and Northern Hemisphere time series through the use of proxy data
reconstructions -- the “hockey stick model”, and steadfastly informing public discourse on the effects of climate change.
Get to know Michael E. Mann
What if the past could reveal our climate future?
That’s what Dr. Michael Mann set out to answer when he used tree rings, ice cores, and other “proxy data” to recreate Earth’s climate over the past millennium. What he uncovered changed the conversation around global warming forever.
Mann’s now-famous “Hockey Stick” graph, published in 1999, showed a sharp spike in temperatures in the 20th century — a visual wake-up call that made climate change impossible to ignore. It quickly became a central focus of public debate and scientific consensus, featured in the 2001 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Despite fierce political backlash, Mann has never backed down. As one of the most visible defenders of climate science, he has spent decades communicating evidence-based research to the public and policymakers. Through his books, lectures, and media presence, Mann empowers people with the science — and the hope — needed to drive climate action.
Honoring a Guardian of Climate Truth
In May 2019, the Tyler Prize community gathered in San Francisco to celebrate Michael Mann’s fearless contributions to climate science and public understanding. Surrounded by leading researchers, policymakers and students, Mann called for optimism — not surrender — in the face of the climate crisis.
