Tributes to Leeds alumnus Piers Sellers at climate awards

Tributes to Piers Sellers will be paid at a prizegiving by the Priestley International Centre for Climate at its annual event today.

The event, which marks the Centre’s first year, includes the Piers Sellers Prizes, which the astronaut, climate scientist and Leeds alumnus gave his name to.

Piers Sellers had planned to attend the Priestley Centre’s formal launch in June 2016 to present the prizes in person, but was suffering from pancreatic cancer and was not well enough to fly. He sent a video message for the occasion, saying how “absolutely tickled” he was to have the prizes named after him, and declaring his hopes that the Priestley Centre would be at the forefront of the research to find climate solutions.

An edited version of the film will be shown at the prizegiving today in tribute to Piers Sellers, who died on 23 December 2016. The event also includes a personal tribute by former colleague Dr Wolfgang Buermann.

The prizes, one for a world leading contribution to solution focused climate research and the other for exceptional research by a Leeds PhD student, will be announced at 16.00. They are sponsored by the Leeds Alumni Footsteps Fund and the Priestley International Centre for Climate.