Washington received the
U.S. Department of Energy's Biological and Environmental Research Program Exceptional Service Award for Atmospheric Science in 1997, for the development and application of advanced coupled atmospheric-ocean
general circulation models (GCMs) to study the impacts of human activities on future climate. In 1999 Washington received the
National Weather Service (NWS) Modernization Award. In January 2000 Washington was given the Charles Anderson Award from the
American Meteorological Society (AMS) for pioneering efforts as a mentor and passionate supporter of individuals, educational programs, and outreach initiatives designed to foster a diverse population of atmospheric scientists. He also was an honorary member and past-President of the AMS. In March 2000 Washington received the Celebrating 20th Century Pioneers in Atmospheric Sciences Award at
Howard University and in April 2000 Colorado's
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award in recognition of significant and unique contributions in the field of science. In 2007, Washington's research was included in the
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. study and advisory panel that shared the
2007 Nobel Peace Prize with
Al Gore, the former
Vice President of the United States. In 2019, Washington and
Michael E. Mann were awarded the
Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, recognized as the top honor in environment-related work. Washington gave the 2019
Ambrose Jearld Jr. lectureship sponsored by the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative. He was a fellow of the
American Philosophical Society (APS), and he received honorary doctorates from Oregon State University and
Bates College. ==Personal life==