Dr. Jane Lubchenco is an eminent environmental scientist and marine ecologist who was formerly the Administrator of NOAA, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She is a Distinguished Professor and the Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University, and in 2021 was loaned to the White House to serve as Deputy Director for Climate and the Environment in the Office of Science and Technology Policy under the Biden administration. She previously co-founded three organizations that train scientists to be better communicators and engage more effectively with the public, policy makers, media and industry: COMPASS, the Leopold Leadership Program (now the Earth Leadership Program), and Climate Central. She believes we can harness science and creativity and work with nature to achieve a healthy and resilient oceans, productive landscapes, vibrant communities and people.

This interview was done before Dr. Lubchenco gave a public talk at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon on April 16, 2025. We discuss a new narrative for thinking about the ocean - from “Too Big to Fail” to “Too Big to Fix” to “Too Central to Ignore." She also shares some reactions to the current administration in relation to NOAA. You can listen to the recording of her public talk at hmsc.oregonstate.edu.

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