Donald G. Baker

College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, March 4, 2005

Donald G. Baker, Professor Emeritus, received three degrees from the University of Minnesota - B.S. (1949), M.S. (1951), and a Ph.D. (1958) in Soil Science (with a minor in Geology). After completing his education, he began a successful 37-year career as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota. His research on radiation fluxes is nationally and internationally known. Perhaps most important are his studies on the effect of the depth and duration of snow cover on radiation fluxes and concurrent air temperatures. Not only has he has completed the most comprehensive and ongoing cataloging of Minnesota’s weather, in 1960 he established the Climatological Observatory on the St. Paul Campus, which continues to provide data today. He has published numerous manuscripts and journals detailing the climate of Minnesota and the Midwest. He is also the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Governor’s Certificate of Recognition for his analyses on the potential for wind energy generation in Minnesota.