NOAA OCEAN SERVICE CHIEF SCIENTIST HEADS MICHIGAN SEA GRANT

The former chief scientist of NOAA’s National Ocean Service, Donald Scavia, is the new director of the Michigan Sea Grant College Program and a professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) at the University of Michigan. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“I look forward to the challenge of leading Michigan Sea Grant, and joining the faculty in the School of Natural Resources and Environment,” said Scavia. “Both programs hold great potential for advancing Great Lakes research and applying this knowledge through Sea Grant's network of extension agents in coastal communities.”

Michigan Sea Grant, one of 30 NOAA-funded Sea Grant programs in a national network, sponsors Great Lakes research, outreach and education. As Director, Scavia will be responsible for overall program management, which is conducted jointly by the University of Michigan (UM) and Michigan State University (MSU), strategic planning, and program development.

“Don brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Sea Grant and to the Great Lakes,” said Ronald Baird, director of the National Sea Grant College Program, which is housed in NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. “The partnering of Michigan Sea Grant and two of the state’s major academic institutions holds great promise for significant advances in our understanding and capacity to manage the Great Lakes, one of the world’s unique resources.”

Scavia received his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan in 1980. He served as a research scientist at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor from 1975 to 1990.

He later established and directed NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program. This program, which received special recognition in 1994 by the National Research Council, supports academic and federal coastal and Great Lakes research through competitive, peer review. From 1998-2001, Scavia established and directed NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in Silver Spring, Md., and later served as chief scientist for the National Ocean Service.

Scavia has authored more than 60 papers in refereed journals and is co-editor of the book “Ecological Modeling of Lake Ecosystems” published by the Ann Arbor Press. He received numerous awards including the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for Leadership. He has held numerous positions in scientific societies and served on many interagency committees, review boards and advisory committees including committees of the National Science and Technology Council.

Scavia succeeds George Carignan, who was the interim director of Michigan Sea Grant College Program since September 2000.

Michigan Sea Grant is a cooperative program of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Funding is provided by NOAA through the National Sea Grant College Program.

The University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment combines leading edge research, rigorous graduate and professional education programs, and effective public service to address the complex environmental problems confronting society.

The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through research to better understand weather and climate-related events and to manage wisely our nation's coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

Michigan Sea Grant Program: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu

The University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment: http://www.snre.umich.edu