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<DIV><BR><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cast of Characters<BR><FONT
size=4>Lubchenco Will Helm National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration</FONT><BR>By Juliet
Eilperin<BR>http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/18/lubchenco_will_helm_national_o.html<BR><BR>President-elect
Barack Obama has tapped Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, one of
the nation's most prominent marine biologists, to head the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.</FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><BR>Lubchenco, a conservationist who has devoted much of her career to
encouraging scientists to become more engaged in public policy debates, is also
a vocal proponent of curbing greenhouse gases linked to global warming. The
transition team could not be reached for comment, but several sources confirmed
today that Lubchenco had been picked and was headed to Chicago for the upcoming
announcement.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>The appointment marks a shift for NOAA, which oversees marine issues as
well as much of government's climate work. Lubchenco has criticized the agency
in the past for not doing enough to curb overfishing.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>Andrew Rosenberg, who served as deputy director of NOAA's Fisheries
Service under Clinton and is now University of New Hampshire professor of
natural resources and the environment, praised Lubchenco as an "absolutely world
class scientist."<BR>"When has NOAA been headed by a member of the National
Academy and a fellow of the Royal Society?" he said, referring to America and
Britain's most prestigious scientific societies. "That's exactly the right
signal. It establishes NOAA as one of those key scientific agencies."</DIV>
<DIV><BR>By selecting someone who's both a respected researcher and an active
player in national policy discussions, Rosenberg added, "it's saying that
science agencies have a role in policy. They need to be tightly connected, and I
believe they will be tightly connected under Jane."</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>