The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that Sarah Kapnick, Ph.D., has been appointed its new chief scientist.
The third woman to be appointed to the role, Kapnick aims to drive the agency’s policy and program in line with its priorities.
Kapnick brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked for 18 years at the crossroads between economics and science, most recently as a managing director at J.P. Morgan. Before that, she held the post of deputy division leader for seasonal to decadal variability and predictability at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey for ten years.
Commenting on the new appointment, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated:
“I look forward to working with Dr. Kapnick in her new role as NOAA’s chief scientist. I have no doubt that Dr. Kapnick will play an important role in advancing the Department’s goal of addressing the climate crisis by providing science, data and services to help communities and businesses become climate-ready.”
While NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad added:
“I’m excited to welcome Sarah back to NOAA in this important capacity. She brings technical expertise in climate prediction and modeling, and real-world experience from the private and public sector that will be valuable as NOAA leverages our full suite of science capabilities to build a Climate-Ready Nation.”
On her return to the NOAA team, Kapnick said:
“It is an honor to return to NOAA and serve as the chief scientist. Our products and services are integral not only to the daily lives of Americans, but also in protecting property and supporting commerce. The continuous development of our science and climate related products will be critical to support the economy, address climate change and ensure healthy oceans.”
