Richard “Rick” Spinrad, who has overseen national research initiatives from leadership positions in the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Navy, will join OSU in July as vice president for research.
Spinrad earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. at OSU in the 1970s and 1980s. He returns to Oregon with a wealth of experience tightly aligned with the university’s research priorities in climate change and sustainability.
As NOAA’s assistant administrator for research, he directed programs in oceanography, atmospheric sciences and climate, including the National Sea Grant College Program and Climate Program Office. In his previous NOAA post, he directed navigation services, including the National Geodetic Survey, the National Marine Sanctuaries Program and the Office of Coastal Resource Management. He also represented U.S. interests in the establishment of a global tsunami warning system.
Spinrad succeeds John Cassady, who retired in January.