Seth Zippel selected for The Oceanography Society Early Career Award

(Press-News.org) The Oceanography Society (TOS) has selected Dr. Seth Zippel, Assistant Professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University, as a recipient of the TOS Early Career Award, recognizing his significant early-career research contributions, impact, and exceptional potential for future achievement in oceanography. Dr. Zippel will be recognized at The Oceanography Society Honors Breakfast, February 24, 2026, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

Dr. Zippel is recognized internationally for advancing the understanding of air–sea–ice interactions, surface gravity waves, and boundary-layer turbulence through innovative field experiments, novel observational techniques, and rigorous analysis. His work has delivered fundamental insights into how energy and momentum are transferred across the ocean–atmosphere interface—processes central to ocean mixing, air–sea exchange, and weather and climate prediction.

“Seth’s pioneering studies of air–sea interaction and upper-ocean turbulence have made significant early-career contributions to our understanding of how energy and momentum are transferred from the atmosphere to the ocean through the wavy sea surface,” wrote J. Thomas Farrar, Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “He exemplifies the qualities this award seeks to recognize—outstanding early-career research achievement, significant scientific impact, and exceptional potential for future contributions to the field of oceanography.”

A defining feature of Dr. Zippel’s research is his leadership in developing and applying new measurement approaches. He introduced novel methods to estimate turbulent kinetic energy dissipation from long-enduring surface moorings, and he led technically ambitious field campaigns that produced first-of-their-kind observations linking atmospheric processes, surface waves, and ocean turbulence.

“These were the first reported field measurements of wave-coherent pressure work,” wrote Christopher J. Zappa of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, referring to Dr. Zippel’s landmark observations at the air–sea interface. “I think this research will prove to be a seminal work in the years to come.”

Dr. Zippel’s work also demonstrates strong applied relevance, including contributions to offshore wind energy assessments and forecasting, estuarine carbon dioxide flux studies, and Arctic sea-ice edge processes. His collaborative leadership across major multi-institutional projects underscores the societal impact of his science.

“Seth has already demonstrated innovative ways to tackle new and/or unsolved challenges in air–sea interaction research,” wrote James B. Edson, Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “He is gaining an international reputation as the leader of a new and impressive group of young scientists working on air–sea interaction research.”

In addition to his research achievements, Dr. Zippel is recognized for outstanding contributions to education, mentoring, and service within the ocean sciences community. As an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University, he has developed and taught graduate-level courses in turbulence, air–sea interactions, and fluid dynamics; advised and served on multiple graduate committees; led graduate recruitment efforts; and mentored undergraduate students in instrumentation and field methods.

“Dr. Zippel is making important contributions to the teaching and mentoring missions of our college,” wrote James A. Lerczak, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State. “These qualities, combined with his widely recognized achievements as a scholar and his emergence as a teacher and mentor, are why Dr. Zippel is very deserving of the TOS Early Career Award.”

Dr. Zippel is also a strong advocate for open science, making data sets and analysis code publicly accessible to advance transparency, reproducibility, and community-wide progress.

Collectively, these accomplishments exemplify the goals of the TOS Early Career Award: outstanding early-career research contributions, impactful education and mentoring, effective outreach and collaboration, and clear potential for continued leadership in oceanography.

For more information about the TOS Early Career Award, visit https://tos.org/early-career-award.

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About The Oceanography Society

Founded in 1988, the Oceanography Society’s mission is to build the capacity of its diverse global membership; catalyze interdisciplinary ocean research, technology, policy, and education; and promote equitable access to opportunities for all.

About the OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS), Oregon State University

CEOAS is renowned for research excellence and academic programs that span the earth, ocean and climate sciences, as well as the human dimensions of environmental change. CEOAS inspires scientific solutions for Oregon and the world.

 

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