Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon is an astrophysicist and a geoscientist in the Solar and Stellar Physics Division at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He received his Ph.D. (with distinction) in aeronautical engineering from the University of Southern California. He has been an Astronomer at the Mount Wilson Observatory, a Senior Scientist at the George C. Marshall Institute, Chief Science Adviser to the Science and Public Policy Institute, and an Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies at the University of Putra, Malaysia.
In 2013, theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson wrote in The Boston Globe: "The whole point of science is to question accepted dogmas. For that reason, I respect Willie Soon as a good scientist and a courageous citizen."
Soon is the author of the books, The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection (with Steven H. Yaskell) and Introduction to Astronomy (with P. N. Okeke), as well as over ninety refereed papers in such scientific journals as Astronomy & Astrophysics; Astrophysical Journal; Earth-Science Reviews; Ecological Complexity; Ecology Law Currents; Energy & Environment; Geophysical Research Letters; Geosciences; Hydrological Sciences Journal; Interfaces; International Journal of Forecasting; Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics; Journal of Climate; Nature Geoscience; New Astronomy; Physical Geography; Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Progress in Physical Geography; Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; Science Bulletin; Science & Education; Sky and Telescope and Water, Air and Soil Pollution.
He is the recipient of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society Graduate Scholastic Award, Rockwell Dennis Hunt Scholastic Award from the University of Southern California, Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory) Award in Official Recognition of Work Performance Reflecting a High Standard of Accomplishment, Courage in Defense of Science Award from the George C. Marshall Institute, Petr Beckmann Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Defense of Scientific Truth from Doctors for Disaster Preparedness, and Frederick Seitz Memorial Award.
His popular articles have appeared in such media as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Financial Post, Investor's Business Daily, Financial Express, Jakarta Post, Vancouver Sun, Business Times in Malaysia, Breitbart News, South China Morning Post, World Climate Report, World Climate Alert, TechCentralStation.com, and Scripps Howard News Service.
