Trump Administration Appoints Matthew Wielicki to Lead U.S. Global Change Research Program

The Trump administration has appointed Matthew Wielicki to lead the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which compiles the National Climate Assessment required by Congress. Wielicki previously worked as a geochemist at the University of Alabama and resigned from an untenured assistant professor position in 2023. He has not published peer-reviewed studies on climate science.

Background on the Appointment The program coordinates environmental research across 15 federal agencies and produces reports used by policymakers and communities. The last assessment, published in 2023, documented effects of rising temperatures across U.S. regions.

Last spring, the administration dismissed hundreds of scientists working on the next update. The White House stated that the program had been used for political agendas instead of sound science.

Wielicki has argued on social media, podcasts, and PragerU videos that mainstream climate science overstates negative effects of warming. He stated in a 2024 podcast that negative impacts from the first 1.1 degrees of warming have been minor and manageable. The White House declined to make Wielicki available for comment. He said he could not speak to reporters without permission.

Union of Concerned Scientists said accelerating sea level rise is already affecting the U.S. East Coast and that credible science is needed for preparation. Meade Krosby of the University of Washington expressed concern that the next assessment could include misleading information.

Myron Ebell of the American Lands Council said he expects the next assessment to rely more on data and less on models. The American Geophysical Union and American Meteorological Society plan to publish independent climate research in peer-reviewed journals.