Jane Lubchenco is the Deputy Director for Climate and Environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Among other responsibilities, she leads the U.S. participation in the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. She is an ecologist with expertise in the ocean, climate change, biodiversity, and interactions between the environment and human well-being.
She previously served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA; 2009-2013). From 2014-2016, she was the first U.S. State Department Science Envoy for the Ocean, serving as a science diplomat to China, Indonesia, South Africa, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Lubchenco is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society, The World Academy of Sciences, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
She has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership, service, and contributions to science and society. These awards include 23 honorary doctorates, a MacArthur (‘genius’) Fellowship, and the highest honors given by the National Academy of Sciences (the Public Welfare Medal), the National Science Foundation (the Vannevar Bush Award), and the Department of Commerce (Gold Medal Award), and the highest honor given to a civilian by the U.S. Coast Guard (Distinguished Public Service Award). Dr. Lubchenco received a B.A. in biology from Colorado College, a M.S. in zoology from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. in ecology from Harvard University. She has held faculty appointments at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Oregon State University. She is on loan from Oregon State University to serve in the White House.