Var Limpasuvan, an associate professor of physics at Coastal Carolina University, recently received the 2007 Young Scientist Governor's Award for Excellence in Scientific Research for his research in atmospheric physics.

Limpasuvan, a member of Coastal's faculty since 2000, is the first professor from CCU to earn a governor's award for excellence in science. His work focuses on various atmospheric processes that contribute to our understanding of the climate and our ability to assess climate changes.

The governor's awards for science were established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor an individual or team within the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and to promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina.

Founded in 2005 by Michelin North America, the Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research honors individuals who have completed no more than 12 years beyond their Ph.D. The $1,000 honorarium will be presented to Limpasuvan at a ceremony held in conjunction with the South Carolina Academy of Science's annual meeting on April 13. A presentation ceremony will also be held at Governor Sanford's office in the spring. Past recipients of the Young Scientist Award have all been professors from Clemson University.

Limpasuvan earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Occidental College, a bachelor's degree in engineering and applied sciences from the California Institute of Technology, and a doctorate degree in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington. Prior to coming to CCU, he was a research associate at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Seattle. Other notable awards he has received include the NASA Group Achievement Award for the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder in 2006, the 2001 South Carolina Governor's Distinguished Professor, and CCU's Teacher of the Year for 2000-2001.