Every first semester of the school year, Parker hosts a visiting scientist to teach, interact, and present their studies to the whole school community. On November 20th, Dr. Elisabeth Moyer, Parker’s 19th Annual Robert A. Pritzker Visiting Scientist-Inventor-Engineer in Residence, came to speak to the school.

Moyer presented to students, faculty, and parents during an MX, a lunch meeting, and an after-school lecture. She also visited upperclassmen in Upper School History Teacher and Department Chair Andrew Bigelow and Upper School Science Teacher Xiao Zhang’s Climate Science and Environmental Justice class. 

After attending Stanford and earning her degree in physics, Moyer got her PHD in planetary science from the California Institute of Technology. Currently, she is a professor in the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago, where she lectures about the principles of climate science and energy technology. Director of the PIRE-Cirrus international research program at the University of Chicago, Moyer spoke with students about her work in studying Cirrus Clouds – high altitude clouds made of ice crystals. Within Moyer’s profession, she specializes in understanding cloud formation, weather patterns, and the atmosphere. Specifically, Moyer uses her time to create tools for predicting the impacts of climate change.