Mission
To promote climate science through education, research, transition to operations, and community engagement and the development of public-private partnerships. The scope of the Center’s activities will consist of the relation of Earth’s climate to (a) national security, (b) coastal environment and infrastructure, and (c) human health and welfare.
Purpose
The Lt. Col. James B. Near Jr., USAF, ’77, Center for Climate Studies (a.k.a. the “Center”) serves the students and faculty of The Citadel and citizens of South Carolina by enhancing understanding of climate and its variability, change, and risks. It will guide curriculum development in atmospheric and climate science, conduct place-based research, and inform and promote the design of sustainable, scientifically sound, technologically feasible, economically efficient, and ethically defensible climate-risk management strategies. As climate change is a critical issue facing the nation’s military and citizenry into the foreseeable future, the Center is vital to The Citadel’s mission of educating and training principled leaders. It appears as Objective 6.3 within The Citadel’s strategic plan, Our Mighty Citadel 2026: Advancing Our Legacy of Leadership, and has been endowed with a gift from a deceased alumnus.