Thomas Rickenbach

Dr. Thomas (Tom) Rickenbach is a professor of atmospheric science in the Department of Earth, Environment and Planning at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. His research investigates the connection between precipitation systems and regimes of regional climate – today and in the future. He has played leadership roles in NASA-sponsored field programs to investigate tropical weather systems and to calibrate satellite observations of tropical rainfall. His research has been supported by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Rickenbach has appeared in numerous television and radio interviews and has published opinion pieces related to climate change and science issues. He has spent time on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. as a resource for Congressional offices on climate-related issues and impacts. In 2018, Dr. Rickenbach was honored with East Carolina University’s Scholar-Teacher Award.

Dr. Rickenbach is the author of the 2026 book Science, Culture, and Climate: Navigating Change (Elsevier/Academic Press).