AES Scientist wins

          An AES research scientist responsible for making computers an everyday tool in weather forecasting has been awarded the Patterson Medal for 1985.

         Dr. André Robert, former director of the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) in Dorval, Quebec and now a senior research scientist at the Numerical Prediction Research Division, received the highest award in Canadian meteorology at an awards banquet held by the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) in Regina Saskatchewan, in June 1986.
 
         At the ceremony, Dr. Robert was praised for his fundamental contribution to numerical modelling prediction.  His work dates back to 1962 when he first developed a model to be used in Canada for weather forecasting, later used on a routine basis from 1967-76.  Dr. Robert then went on to develop other models, capable of achieving still greater efficiency and accuracy in numerical weather prediction.  He is now continuing work on advanced models which promise to increase efficiency fivefold and keep Canada in the forefront of state of the art weather forecasting techniques during the next decade.

          Dr. Robert joined the Canadian Meteorological Service in 1953 and at the same time pursued studies which culminated in his obtaining a Ph. D. in Meteorology from McGill University in 1965. 

          After starting work in the Dynamic Prediction Research Division in 1959, Dr. Robert rose to become director of the CMC in 1974, a post that he held until 1980.  Between 1970 and 1971, he held the post of Professor of Meteorology at McGill.  Among many international assignments, Dr. Robert served as chairman of the International Working Group on Numerical Experimentation from 1971 to 1973.
 
          He was president of CMOS in 1972.  In 1967 he received the President's Prize from CMOS and again in 1971.  He received the Second Half Century Award of the American Meteorological Society in 1980, the first non-American to do so.