Jane Lubchenco, the Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University, has been selected as the first recipient of the Mary Sears Medal by the Oceanography Society.

Lubchenco received the medal during the 2020 Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, California, where she presented a lecture during the society awards plenary session on Feb. 19.

This honor recognizes Lubchenco's exceptional leadership and original contributions to research on biodiversity and rocky seashore ecology, and solutions to restore ocean health and sustainable fisheries.

In addition to being a renowned educator and among the most highly cited and most influential marine scientists in the world, Lubchenco served as undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She later served in the U.S. Department of State as the first science envoy for the ocean.

February 19, 2020