Max Holmes Ph.D.

President & CEO

I am motivated by a vision of science that connects people with each other and the natural world, and which drives urgently needed solutions to the climate crisis. I joined Woodwell Climate Research Center as a scientist in 2005, and served as Deputy Director for five years prior to becoming President and CEO in 2021.

I fell in love with fly-fishing as a kid—a passion that has shaped my worldview and research career. For example, I co-founded and led multiple large river research networks, including Global Rivers Observatory, Arctic Great Rivers Observatory, Cape Cod Rivers Observatory, and Science on the Fly, an initiative that unites the fly-fishing and science communities to study and protect rivers around the world. These projects have produced valuable, detailed data on water chemistry which provides deeper insights into the impacts of climate change. ArcticGRO recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, and in just 5 years, SOTF has grown to a team of more than 150 volunteers, monitoring 350+ locations across 40 states and 6 countries. I have authored over 150 publications in scientific journals, which have been cited more than 14,000 times.

Dr. Holmes speaks to other presenters on a panel at CERAWeek.

My track record of community-based science and innate passion for interacting with new people and ideas position me to engage diverse audiences. I have brought my action-oriented vision for our climate future to venues ranging from TEDx to Davos to Mountainfilm, and have been quoted by top news outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Independent.

I previously served as director of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Arctic Systems Science Program, was elected National Fellow of the Explorers Club in 2015, and served on the 2022 Earthshot Prize host committee.

“The solutions to climate change should be political, but they should also be non-partisan. We are all passionate about this work, but we are also fiercely independent in our search for solutions.”