The Senate confirmed Dr. Marcia McNutt as the new director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). McNutt is an oceangoing geophysicist that was previously president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. She has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for her work on understanding the Earth’s crust.

Here’s a good profile from GeoTimes that highlights McNutt’s research, academic career (which included 15 years at MIT), and as executive of large research institutions. McNutt has appeared before Congress many times, including testimony about NASA’s responsibilities for earth observation.

I’m impressed with the great deal of cross-disciplinary experience here. This looks like an excellent appointment with a unique skill set that will be vital as the USGS works to reinvent itself.

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