Usha Varanasi, Ph.D.

Dr. Usha Varanasi

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