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Leaders in Science
Our Mission is to conduct research to understand and predict the Earth system; develop technology to improve NOAA science, service, and stewardship; and transition the results so they help us meet the challenges faced by society.
Student Amanda Netburn recovers an Oozeki midwater trawl net used to collect juvenile fishes from surface waters. Comparing trawl catch to acoustic data is a way to verify surveys of marine life populations on board R/V New Horizon. Credit: UC San Diego
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)—or “NOAA Research”—provides the research foundation for understanding the complex systems that support our planet. Working in partnership with other organizational units of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bureau of the Department of Commerce, NOAA Research enables better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters, and a greater understanding of the Earth. Our role is to provide unbiased science to better manage the environment, nationally, and globally. Visit the OAR Strategy and Budget page to learn more.
NOAA and the nation depend on the cutting-edge science provided by its research programs. NOAA Research builds much of the foundation for the modernization of the National Weather Service. The research programs provide the science necessary to help NOAA achieve its goals to:
Working under the broad themes of Climate, Weather and Air Quality, and Ocean and Coastal Resources, NOAA scientists study the ocean’s depths and the highest reaches of space to better understand our environment. NOAA’s long-term commitment to the highest quality research includes engaging in-house and extramural talent to:
Research plans and products are developed in partnership with academia and other federal agencies, and are peer-reviewed and widely distributed. A high premium is placed on external collaboration both domestically and internationally. In addition, personnel management practices of hiring, promotion, and awards are based on demonstrable capability through internal and external peer assessment. Peer review, collaboration, and partnerships ensure that NOAA’s research is of the highest quality and remains focused on critical issues.
NOAA is a world leader in environmental science today and is well positioned and organized to provide the sound scientific research policy-makers will always need. However, most of the environmental questions our nation and the world face are not easily answered. A strong NOAA is necessary to tackle the complex issues that only advanced scientific knowledge is able to adequately address. NOAA Research answers the call.
Click the photo icons to learn more about our leadership.
In October 2022, Steve Thur, Ph.D., a nationally recognized leader in coastal science and management, began his tenure as the Assistant Administrator for the NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Steven Thur, Ph.D. is the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (NOAA Research) and performing the duties of NOAA Chief Scientist.
Dr. Thur oversees the work of approximately 2,300 staff and the operations of ten laboratories and six programs, and he guides the application of NOAA Research’s expertise, data and tools to better understand our planet and help us to make informed decisions to protect people and ecosystems. Dr. Thur’s career with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has focused on applying service through science in order to manage, restore, and conserve marine resources.
Prior to joining NOAA Research, Dr. Thur was Director of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science from 2017 to 2022 and the Deputy Director from 2013 to 2017. From 2007 to 2013, he was the Coordinator of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the nation’s premier coral reef science program. Dr. Thur was an economist for the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration from 2003 to 2007. During his tenure at NOAA, Dr. Thur has had a particular emphasis on how both the biophysical and social sciences are used to sustain coastal ecosystems and the vibrant human communities that depend upon them for livelihoods, recreation, and as a place for connecting with nature.
Dr. Thur received his Ph.D. in marine policy from the University of Delaware’s Graduate College of Marine Studies in 2003. His dissertation research was on sustainable financing mechanisms for coral reef marine protected areas. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in biology and economics from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
In October 2022, Steve Thur, Ph.D., a nationally recognized leader in coastal science and management, began his tenure as the Assistant Administrator for the NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
NOAA Research welcomes Nancy Wallace as the incoming Deputy Assistant Administrator for Programs and Administration. Nancy brings a wealth of experience from her time leading
Nancy Wallace is the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Programs and Administration for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).
Ms. Wallace is responsible for overseeing the management and coordination of the organization’s six science programs and manages key administrative functions, including budgeting, policy, communications, and employee services. To this role, Ms. Wallace brings over a decade of expertise from her previous role as Director of the Marine Debris Program at the National Ocean Service.
NOAA Research welcomes Nancy Wallace as the incoming Deputy Assistant Administrator for Programs and Administration. Nancy brings a wealth of experience from her time leading
Jennifer Mahoney is the acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).
Jennifer Mahoney comes to OAR’s leadership team from directing the NOAA Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) where she led a staff of nearly 200 meteorologists, software engineers, and support staff dedicated to providing solutions that protect society from extreme weather. GSL is proud to host NOAA’s new Fire Weather Testbed where users and researchers work together to evaluate new fire weather tools and technology. GSL expertise in data assimilation and verification techniques advances the NOAA Unified Forecast System local-to-global and hourly-to-seasonal timescales that can predict severe weather, and the transport of smoke, and dust. GSL leads the development of Hazard Services, a multi-year, multi-phase, multi-partner effort to streamline the process to create hazardous weather watches, warnings, or advisories for 120 NOAA National Weather Service Offices and six NOAA National Centers. GSL also researches state-of-the-art environmental forecast, warning, decision support, Artificial Intelligence, social science, and visualization capabilities to empower forecasters and decision-makers.
Jennifer is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) serving on the Commission on the Weather, Water and Climate Enterprise Steering Committee. Jennifer serves as the Co-Chair for the Interagency Council on Advancing Meteorological Services on Atmospheric Composition Information and Services working to advance U.S. global leadership in atmospheric composition services, and is a member of the Board of the Climate Resilience Engine advancing collaborative solutions that address the impacts of climate change in Colorado and Wyoming. As a Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), she is guiding research objectives for the Institute. She is a member of the Management Oversight Board for the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation and serves on the Executive Team for NOAA’s Developmental Testbed Center. She also guides NOAA’s HPC Allocation Committee enabling the efficient use of computing resources to advance NOAA’s forecasting needs.
Prior to her selection as GSL Director, Jennifer served in various roles within NOAA. Additionally, she was recognized twice as the NOAA Research Employee of the Year for her Leadership. She received the NOAA Administrator’s award for the establishment of ground-breaking IT security practices, maximizing the effectiveness of partner high performance computing systems for the advancement of NOAA science; a NOAA Bronze Medal for expeditiously and skillfully coordinating research that leveraged the unique scientific opportunity resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic; and she was recognized by the Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science where she received an Outstanding Alumni Award.
