Topic: Jane Lubchenco

Dr. Jane Lubchenco (Ukrainian Cyrillic: Джейн (Яна) Любченко; born December 4, 1947) is a Ukrainian-American environmental scientist and marine ecologist. On March 19, 2009, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first woman to serve as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

While performing duties as head of NOAA, Dr. Lubchenco, The Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology and Oregon State University Distinguished Professor of Zoology, has taken a leave of absence from her work at the university. She grew up in Colorado, received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College in 1969, received her PhD and taught at Harvard University.

Lubchenco's research interests include biodiversity, climate change, sustainability science, and the state of the oceans. She has received numerous awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship, a Pew Fellowship, eight honorary degrees (including one from Princeton University), the 8th Annual Heinz Award in the Environment (2002), and the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (2003). Between 1997 and 1998, she served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.