Dorian Abbot Explained

Dorian Abbot
Birth Name:Dorian Schuyler Abbot
Fields:Geophysics
Workplaces:University of Chicago
Education:Harvard University (BA, MS, PhD)
Thesis Title:A high-latitude convective cloud feedback
Thesis Url:https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/934916756
Thesis Year:2008
Doctoral Advisor:Eli Tziperman

Dorian Schuyler Abbot is an American geophysicist. He is a professor at the University of Chicago.

Education

Abbot was educated at Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2004 in physics, then received a Master of Science (2004) and Ph.D. (2008) in applied mathematics from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His dissertation was titled A high-latitude convective cloud feedback.[1] Abbot's doctoral advisor was . From 2008 to 2009, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. Abbot conducted post doctoral research in geophysical sciences from 2009 to 2011 at the University of Chicago.[2]

Career

Abbot became an assistant professor of geophysical sciences at University of Chicago in 2011. He became an associate professor in 2015. Abbot uses low-order mathematical models and numerical models to research climates, paleoclimates, planetary habitability, and exoplanets.[3]

MIT lecture cancellation

Abbot was invited to give the 2020 John Carlson Lecture, a public science outreach, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The lecture was rescheduled to October 2021, before being cancelled in September 2021 after complaints on Twitter about a Newsweek editorial co-written by Abbot and Stanford professor Ivan Marinovic.[4] [5] In the editorial, Abbot and Marinovic argued for greater focus on academic excellence and individual achievement in University admissions, suggested scrapping legacy and athletic admission advantages, and criticized some aspects of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. They recalled how the racial ideology of Nazi Germany "drove many of the best scholars out" of the universities, and called this "a warning of the consequences of viewing group membership as more important than merit".[6] [7]

MIT explained the cancellation by stating that the public outreach lecture was meant to showcase a role model who inspires a broad group of young people, and they instead invited Abbot to give a standard departmental seminar at MIT.[8] [9] Abbot ultimately delivered his lecture on planetary science to a large audience hosted by the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University on the same day as the cancelled event.[10] Abbot was a guest on Tucker Carlson Tonight[11] and CNN[12] to discuss the cancellation. He also received a Hero of Intellectual Freedom Award from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

The barrage of negative press and public outrage resulting from Abbot's cancellation led MIT to hold two forums at which faculty were polled on two free speech questions. A large majority felt that their voices were constrained at MIT. The MIT Free Speech Alliance (MFSA) was formed to call for action.[13] On December 27, 2022, the MIT faculty voted by a roughly 2 to 1 margin to adopt a formal university statement on freedom of expression.[14] On April 4, 2023, the resolution “Academic DEI programs should be abolished” was debated on the MIT campus.[15]

Publications

Abbot's most cited publications are:

Notes and References

  1. A high-latitude convective cloud feedback. 2008. English. Dorian Schuyler. Abbot. Ph.D.. Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 934916756.
  2. Web site: Abbot. Dorian. Curriculum Vitae. live. 2021-10-20. University of Chicago. https://web.archive.org/web/20211016011345/https://d3qi0qp55mx5f5.cloudfront.net/geosci/i/basic_pages/AbbotCV2021.pdf?mtime=1619727403 . 16 October 2021 .
  3. Web site: Dorian Abbot. People. University of Chicago Geophysical Sciences. 2021-10-20.
  4. Web site: Flaherty. Colleen. October 19, 2021. MIT deals with fallout from canceled lecture. live. 2021-10-20. Inside Higher Ed. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20211019083645/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/10/19/mit-deals-fallout-canceled-lecture . 19 October 2021 .
  5. News: Sobey. Rick. October 5, 2021. MIT cancels professor lecture after backlash against him, university cites 'distractions'. live. 2021-10-20. Boston Herald. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006014316/https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/10/05/mit-cancels-professor-lecture-after-backlash-against-him-university-cites-distractions/ . 6 October 2021 .
  6. Web site: Abbot . Dorian S. . Marinovic . Ivan . The diversity problem on campus - Opinion . Newsweek . 2021-08-12 . 2021-10-29.
  7. Web site: Knott . Matthew . When Dorian Abbot's MIT lecture was cancelled, it lit a free-speech firestorm about diversity . The Sydney Morning Herald . 2021-10-22 . 2021-10-29.
  8. Web site: Powell . Michael . October 20, 2021 . M.I.T.'s Choice of Lecturer Ignited Criticism. So Did Its Decision to Cancel. . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211020171033/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/us/dorian-abbot-mit.html . 20 October 2021 . 2021-10-25 . The New York Times . en.
  9. Web site: Schmidt. Martin. October 7, 2021. Letter to the community from MIT provost. live. 2021-10-24. MIT. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20211011202722/https://orgchart.mit.edu/node/6/letters_to_community/important-update-re-eaps . 11 October 2021 .
  10. Web site: Mayberry. Carly. October 12, 2021. Geophysicist 'Canceled' by MIT Honored With Award While Thousands Register for His Lecture. live. 2021-10-28. Newsweek. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20211012173545/https://www.newsweek.com/geophysicist-canceled-mit-honored-award-while-thousands-register-his-lecture-1637820 . 12 October 2021 .
  11. Web site: Creitz. Charles. October 20, 2021. Professor Dorian Abbot: I was canceled for basing admissions on merit. live. 2021-10-28. Fox News. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20211021025232/https://www.foxnews.com/media/professor-dorian-abbot-i-was-canceled-merit . 21 October 2021 .
  12. Web site: Politics overshadowing scientific work . CNN . 2021-10-23 . 2021-10-29.
  13. Web site: MIT Free Speech Alliance (MFSA) . . MIT Free Speech Alliance . MIT Free Speech Alliance . May 6, 2023 . The barrage of negative press and public outrage resulting from MIT cancelling Dr. Abbot ... . 2021-11-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211106205018/https://www.mitfreespeech.org/ . deviated .
  14. Web site: MIT Faculty Vote to Accept New Free Expression Statement Supported by MIT Free Speech Alliance . Press release . . Peter Bonilla and Eric Rasmusen . MIT Free Speech Alliance . MIT Free Speech Alliance . May 6, 2023 . live . https://archive.today/https://www.mitfreespeech.org/mit-faculty-vote-to-accept-new-free-expression-statement . 6 May 2023.
  15. Web site: First of-Its-Kind Debate on a U.S. Campus of Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Occurs Peacefully at MIT . DOCX . Press release . . Peter Bonilla . MIT Free Speech Alliance . MIT Free Speech Alliance . May 6, 2023 . 2023-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230506214451/https://www.mitfreespeech.org/dei-debate-press-release-april-2023 . live .
  16. Web site: Google Scholar . scholar.google.com . November 2, 2021.

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