Dr. Laurence S. Kalkstein is a Senior Research Fellow in the University of Delaware’s Center for Climatic Research.  He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his Masters and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. 

     He is the principal investigator on a number of contracts dealing with the assessment, development and implementation of heat/health watch-warning systems for major cities worldwide.  These systems are funded by both private and government organizations such as NOAA/National Weather Service, US EPA, various electrical utilities, and local health departments. There are currently plans for collaboration with the NWS to develop heat/health systems for every major city in the United States.  In addition, he is studying the relationship between climate and asthma in conjunction with the U.S. EPA and the City of Philadelphia. 

     Dr. Kalkstein and his team have also been involved in the development of various weather indices for use in applied climatological analysis.  These include air mass-based synoptic classifications and the development of a relative climatological index, the "Heat Stress Index" (funded by NOAA/National Climatic Data Center).  As a consultant for Combe, Inc. he has developed summer and winter dry skin indices, as well as sting and chap forecasts, which are posted daily on the web.

     In addition, Dr. Kalkstein and his colleagues at the Synoptic Climatology Laboratory are embarking on research with the US EPA to develop cool initiatives to lower urban structural temperatures with the hope of saving the lives of people vulnerable to heat stress.   He is also working with the EPA to develop a standardized set of intervention measures for cities when heat emergencies are called.