NOAA Chief Jane Lubchenco Will Leave Agency in February

Jane Lubchenco

Online reports today from The Washington Post and the Boston Herald say that Jane Lubchenco, administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, plans to step down at the end of February. Lubchenco cited personal reasons, saying she wanted to return to her family and academia on the West Coast.

The Post says that prior to her appointment in 2009 as NOAA administrator, she was a professor at Oregon State University. The article went on to publish the contents of Lubchenco’s letter to NOAA staff. In it she highlighted 20 challenges her team has tackled.

Lubchenco’s Facebook page does not mention her decision. Neither article speculates on a possible replacement.