Rick Spinrad
Spinrad in 2022
11th Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Assumed office
June 22, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byKathy Sullivan
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
Assumed office
June 22, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
SecretaryGina Raimondo
Preceded byNeil Jacobs
Personal details
Born (1954-04-06) April 6, 1954
New York, New York, U.S.
EducationJohns Hopkins University (BS)
Oregon State University (MS, PhD)
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsOceanography
Institutions
ThesisOptical characteristics of the suspended sediment in the High Energy Benthic Boundary Layer Experiment (1982)
Doctoral advisorsJ. Ronald V. Zaneveld
Hans J. Schrader
LaVerne D. Kulm[1]

Richard William Spinrad[1][2] is an American oceanographer and government official serving as the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He also concurrently serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.[3]

Early life and education

Born and raised in New York City,[4] Spinrad earned a Bachelor of Arts degree[5] in earth and planetary sciences in 1975 from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Science[6] and a PhD[1] in oceanography in 1978 and 1982, respectively, from Oregon State University at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.[7]

Career

Spinrad has held positions in the Office of Naval Research and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; for this work, he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award.[7]

From 2003 to 2010, Spinrad was the head of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research within the NOAA, and also was the U.S. permanent representative of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission from 2005 to 2009. He was the Vice President for Research at Oregon State University from 2010 to 2014.[7]

Spinrad was chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 2014 to 2016, after which he was a professor of oceanography at Oregon State University.[7][8]

On Earth Day 2021, Spinrad was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, which includes serving as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Department of Commerce.[9] On June 17, 2021, his nomination was confirmed by voice vote in the United States Senate.[10] He was sworn in by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on June 22, 2021.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Spinrad, Richard William (1982). Optical characteristics of the suspended sediment in the high energy benthic boundary layer experiment (Ph.D. thesis). Oregon State University. OCLC 1015738170. ProQuest 303226938.
  2. ↑ US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Ocean Exploration 2020 National Forum: Keynote Speakers: Dr. Richard Spinrad". oceanexplorer.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Biden Taps A Former Top Scientist At NOAA To Lead The Weather And Climate Agency". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  4. ↑ "Senate Commerce Committee Nominee Questionnaire, 117th Congress". United States Senate. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Conferring Of Degrees At The Close Of The Ninety-ninth Academic Year" (PDF). Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University. 1975-05-23. pp. 17–21. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  6. ↑ Spinrad, Richard William (1978). Experimental and theoretical measurements of the particulate volume scattering function at near forward angles (M.S. thesis). Oregon State University. OCLC 9419641.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Richard Spinrad". College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  8. ↑ "President Biden Announces 12 Key Climate and Infrastructure Administration Nominations". The White House. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  9. ↑ "Oceanography Vet Rick Spinrad Nominated NOAA Administrator". Executive Gov. 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  10. ↑ "PN439 - Nomination of Richard W. Spinrad for Department of Commerce, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  11. ↑ Smullen, Scott (June 22, 2021). "Richard W. Spinrad sworn in as NOAA administrator". NOAA. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
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