The Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced that its director, Margaret Leinen, will step down in 2025.
The move comes after more than a decade in the post. Leinen will also be stepping down as the Vice Chancellor of UC San Diego. Her last day in the office will be June 30th, 2025.
Leinen saw the Scripps faculty grow by 33% during her tenure. She also championed diversity and inclusivity in the institute, being responsible for appointing the first director of diversity initiatives in 2017.
Commenting on her time, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla stated:
“Margaret Leinen’s leadership has transformed Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the School of Marine Sciences, elevating UC San Diego’s reputation as a global leader in research and education. In particular, her unwavering commitment to understanding and addressing the climate crisis through interdisciplinary research has empowered a new generation of climate leaders who will carry the torch forward. She will be deeply missed, but her legacy will have a lasting impact on our university and the world at large.”
While chief scientist of Esri and a member of the Scripps Director’s Council, Oceanographer Dawn Wright, added:
“Margaret Leinen’s leadership and transformation of Scripps have been nothing short of remarkable, and will go down in history as one of the most consequential for the institution, if not for all of ocean science…Her tenure could not have come at a more important time, especially in helping Scripps to turn a corner where women and people of diverse cultures and backgrounds are concerned. She has been an inspiration and role model to many of us in ocean science.”
