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Usha Varanasi, Ph.D.
Usha Varanasi, Ph.D.
Dr. Usha Varanasi
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Dr. Usha Varanasi is director of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) in
Seattle, WA, part of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). She has held this
position since 1994, when she became the first woman to lead one of the NMFS Science Centers.
Dr. Varanasi is an accomplished scientist and an effective leader who is committed to science
education.
The NWFSC conducts basic and applied research to support the management and conservation
of the Pacific Northwest region's anadromous and marine fishery resources and their
habitats. Dr. Varanasi oversees the Science Center's headquarters in Seattle and five
research stations in Washington and Oregon. Dr. Varanasi's leadership and management
have resulted in increased communication and partnerships with constituents, and new
research programs that address current and future science and management needs, including
the Cumulative Risk Initiative, which analyzes salmon population trends relative to environmental
and human-induced impacts, and the marine groundfish research program, which is dramatically
improving stock assessments and resource surveys in the Pacific Northwest. For her achievements, she was awarded the prestigious 2000 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service, the Deparment of Commerce Gold Medal, the NOAA Distinguished Career Award, and an honorable mention as one of NOAA's History Makers.
Dr. Varanasi has been with the Science Center since 1975. Before becoming director,
she was a researcher in, and subsequently director of, the NWFSC's Environmental
Conservation Division. Dr. Varanasi's research provided an understanding of how marine organisms
accumulate and process chemical pollutants and led to the development of techniques
that reduce the impacts of pollution on fisheries resources and ensure that
seafood is safe for human consumption. Her innovative research and its successful
application during major oil spills, like the Exxon Valdez, earned her a
Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 1993.
Dr. Varanasi has published articles in many scientific journals, include Science, Nature and
Environmental Science. Dr. Varanasi has also edited two books, "Metabolism of
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Aquatic Environment" and "Evaluating and
Communicating subsistence seafood safety in a cross-cultural context: lessons learned
from the Exxon Valdez oil spill." Her book on subsistence seafood safety
received the Society of Technical Communication's 2000 Excellence Award. Prior to
joining the Science Center, Dr. Varanasi held a faculty position with Seattle University,
where she studied marine mammals to understand how they process sound biochemically.
Dr. Varanasi serves on many expert committees and scientific boards. She is deeply
committed to the education of students in the sciences and the mentoring of young
leaders. Dr. Varanasi received her B.Sc. degree from Bombay University in India, her
M.S. degree in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology, and her Ph.D.
in organic chemistry from the University of Washington, where she now holds an adjunct
professorship.
last modified
06/25/2008
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