Tony P. Murphy, Ph.D., grew up in Killarney, where the natural environment greatly influenced him. Following graduation from the University of Limerick with a B.Sc and M.Sc., he taught earth and environmental science to students and adults. Moving to the U.S., he continued this career trajectory with wildlife research and leading groups on wilderness expeditions. He joined The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program (GLOBE) in 1995. This innovative international science and education program was unique in bringing scientists, educators, and students together in the collection and analysis of environmental data. The program is funded by NASA, with support from the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and US State Department. When Tony left the program office, he never lost his love for, and belief in its vision and mission. For the next 2 decades, he introduced university colleagues to GLOBE as a teaching resource.
Tony joined UCAR in 2012 as the Director of the GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO). Under his leadership, and with the GIO team, technology vendors, and the community, the program has grown significantly in numbers and community engagement. He reshaped the annual meeting to be inclusive of all community members, including a unique student experience. He aligned and leveraged aspects of GLOBE to create efficiencies. GLOBE currently has 127 member countries, and its community has submitted more than 250 million measurements. As Director of Community Engagement and Program Strategy, Tony continues his efforts to strengthen the program and its community.