Dr. Jane Lubchenco, member of the Board of Trustees of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, will step down as Trustee to join the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy as deputy director for climate and the environment. She has served on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees since 2013, and previously served on the Foundation’s Board from 2001-2004.
“We are delighted that Jane is joining the new administration,” said David Orr, chair of the Packard Foundation Board of Trustees. “We will very much miss her knowledge, insight, and passion around oceans and climate issues, but the very things that made her a fantastic board member will also provide great value to our nation. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to work with Jane, and the White House is lucky to have her.”
Dr. Lubchenco has continuously demonstrated her passion about promoting the discovery, communication, and use of scientific knowledge in policy and management of natural resources throughout her career. Nominated by President Obama in December 2008 as part of his “Science Dream Team,” she served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 2009-2013. She is a marine ecologist and environmental scientist by training, with expertise in oceans, climate change, and interactions between the environment and human well-being.
Following her resignation from NOAA, she was the Haas Distinguished Visitor in Public Service at Stanford University, and then returned to Oregon State University where she has been the Distinguished Professor of Zoology and Valley Professor of Marine Biology. She received her B.A. in biology from Colorado College, her M.S. in zoology from the University of Washington, and her Ph.D. in ecology from Harvard University. Her academic career as a professor began at Harvard University (1975-1977) and continued at Oregon State University (1977-2009) until her appointment as NOAA administrator.
Dr. Lubchenco has served on numerous associations and commissions, including serving as president of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS), and is one of the “most highly cited” ecologists in the world. In addition, she has received numerous awards including a MacArthur “genius” award, 19 honorary doctorates, and “2010 Newsmaker of the Year” by the scientific journal Nature.
Dr. Lubchenco is passionate about promoting the discovery, communication and use of scientific knowledge in policy and management. She co-founded a research consortium, PISCO, that studies the near-shore ocean along the coasts of Oregon and California, along with three organizations that enhance communication of scientific knowledge to the public, policy makers, media and industry: The Leopold Leadership Program, the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS), and Climate Central.
She is recognized for promoting the concept of ‘a social contract for scientists’ in which scientists pursue and share knowledge that is relevant to society’s most pressing problems, and do so with transparency, honesty, and humility.
