Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Jane Lubchenco is back on the faculty of Oregon State University where she has a new role - adviser to the university on marine studies issues.

OSU has named Lubchenco Distinguished University Professor and Adviser in Marine Studies - a position that will help coordinate and expand Oregon State's international prominence in marine-related studies, which are spread across several disciplines and account for nearly $100 million annually in research funding.

"After four years at the helm of the nation's premier agency for the ocean and atmosphere, I'm delighted to be back at OSU, and even more pleased to see the new energy focused on marine science, education, policy and outreach," Lubchenco said. "From my time at NOAA, I know both the high caliber of marine sciences at OSU and the strong potential for a more robust, visible and effective marine studies program that can provide much-needed global leadership by our faculty and students.

"I'm energized by OSU's commitment to elevate ocean stewardship and to expand the range and quality of opportunities available to students," she added.

Oregon State's growth in the marine sciences in recent years has been significant and Lubchenco has played a key role with her seminal research in marine ecology. OSU boasts one of the strongest marine ecology and biology programs in the nation in the College of Science; a formidable oceanography program in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences; and one of the most highly regarded marine research and education facilities in the country in the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.

The university's strength in marine studies is broad and deep, according to Rick Spinrad, OSU's vice president for research, who pointed out that Oregon State's national leadership in wave energy research and tsunami studies are based in OSU's College of Engineering. The College of Agricultural Sciences has one of the nation's top fisheries programs as well as a leading oyster breeding research program. OSU-based Oregon Sea Grant is an acclaimed research, education and outreach program tied to Extension, and Lubchenco's own faculty appointment is in Integrative Biology, which is in OSU's College of Science.

Other OSU colleges, including Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Education, Liberal Arts, and Public Health and Human Sciences, also have ties to marine research and education.

"A primary goal for Dr. Lubchenco in her new position will be to engage the entire university in OSU's expanding marine studies mission, and advise university leadership on marine studies matters," Spinrad said. "We are delighted to welcome Jane back and look forward to her strategic contributions in building OSU's global marine studies program."

Last year, OSU President Ray announced the launch of an initiative to create a marine studies campus at OSU, including developments at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport that would eventually host as many as 500 students. Planning is under way for how such a campus might be developed, according to Sabah Randhawa, OSU provost and executive vice president. "Jane Lubchenco's insights into the national and international needs for marine science education will be invaluable as we go forward with our plans," Randhawa said.

OSU also provides leadership on a number of other marine studies initiatives, including:

• The Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $386 million project funded by the National Science Foundation to monitor changes in the world's oceans - led by a handful of universities, including Oregon State University;

• An initiative to design and oversee construction of as many as three new coastal research vessels to bolster the United States research fleet. OSU was chosen as lead institution for the NSF-funded project, which could total $290 million over 10 years;

• The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans, a multi-institutional research consortium established 15 years ago and led by OSU, with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation totaling more than $56 million.

Lubchenco said she looks forward to working with OSU faculty, staff and students across the university on marine studies issues.

"I'm immensely proud of what we were able to accomplish during the four years I was at NOAA," she said. "I return to OSU with new insights, contacts and energy to help strengthen our ability to be positioned for the challenges that lie ahead."

Under Lubchenco's leadership, NOAA focused on restoring sustainability and economic viability to fisheries, restoring oceans and coasts to a healthy state, protecting marine mammals and endangered species, conducting and disseminating information on climate science, providing timely weather forecasts and warnings, and maintaining the nation's weather and environmental satellites.

Lubchenco is one of the most highly cited ecologists in the world and is past-president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Ecological Society of America, and the International Council for Science; she is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and was a National Science Board member for 10 years; she served on numerous international commissions; and she is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, or "genius award."

Prior to her NOAA appointment, Lubchenco and her husband, Bruce Menge, shared the Wayne and Gladys Valley Chair in Marine Biology. Menge, who also has the title of Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology, will continue as the Valley Chair, teaching marine biology and ecology, and leading interdisciplinary research teams focused on ocean acidification and coastal ocean dynamics.

Sastry Pantula, dean of OSU's College of Science, said Lubchenco's return to campus will benefit students interested in marine studies.

"Jane's wealth of international experience and the College of Science's strong foundation in marine science research and education will be key for OSU as a global leader in marine studies," Pantula said.  "I am thrilled to see Jane in this role helping to build future leaders and policy makers in marine studies. It is a win-win for our students and for the university."