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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Richard Spinrad, vice president for research at Oregon State University, has been selected to chair a new Congressionally mandated advisory committee established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to oversee United States ocean observation activities.

Spinrad is one of 13 members of the advisory committee to the Integrated Ocean Observation System (IOOS), which also advises the NOAA Administrator on matters relating to ocean observation. Issues addressed by the advisory committee include administration, operation, management and maintenance of IOOS, expansion and modernization of technology; and collection and dissemination of ocean observation data.

Other members of the committee are from private industry, universities and conservation organizations.

Oregon State is one of the primary leaders of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $386 million initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to monitor the oceans for impacts of climate change and other issues.

Spinrad has been vice president for research at OSU since July of 2010; he previously worked at NOAA as assistant administrator for research. He also has been research director for the U.S. Navy.