Dr. Jane Lubchenco has been announced as the 2016 winner of the Linus Pauling Legacy Award sponsored by the Oregon State University Libraries and Press. Dr. Lubchenco holds the title of university distinguished professor and advisor in Marine Studies at Oregon State University and was formerly the administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and under secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
The Pauling Award recognizes outstanding achievement in a subject of interest to the famous scientist and two-time Nobel laureate, and several of the previous recipients were Nobel Prize winners. Lubchenco is the ninth winner of the prestigious award.
As part of the celebration marking the award, Dr. Lubchenco will deliver a free public lecture in Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave. Her talk is titled “Scientists Making Waves and Bringing Hope.”
In addition to her work at Oregon State University, Lubchenco is currently serving as the first U.S. science envoy for the oceans and is an international expert on marine ecology, environmental science and climate change. She is a pioneer in the development of marine protected areas and reserves, which is an effort to help replenish fisheries and promote a healthy economy while also protecting habitats and biodiversity.
“Your accomplishments and leadership in ecology and environmental sustainability are impressive,” said Faye A. Chadwell, the Donald and Delpha Campbell university librarian and OSU press director who announced Lubchenco as the recipient of the award. “Linus Pauling would have applauded your focus on the interactions between the environment and human well-being, as much of the work that he undertook during his long and varied career was dedicated to improving the human condition.”
Linus Pauling, the most distinguished graduate in OSU history, is the only recipient of two unshared Nobel Prizes, for chemistry and peace. The papers of Pauling and his wife, Ava Helen Pauling, are held by OSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives Research Center, and the Linus Pauling Institute at OSU continues to pursue Pauling’s interest in the study of micronutrients and phytochemicals in diet and optimum health.
With a Ph.D. in ecology from Harvard University, Lubchenco is one of the most highly cited ecologists in the world, and she has received numerous awards including a MacArthur “genius” award and 19 honorary doctorates. Her academic career as a professor began at Harvard University and continued at Oregon State University (1977-2009) until her appointment as Administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Following her work for the NOAA, Lubchenco returned to Oregon State.
Lubchenco’s lecture in Portland is wheelchair accessible. Individuals requiring other accommodations should contact Don Frier at 541-737-4633 or don.frier@oregonstate.edu by April 20 so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
