Jane Lubchenco will head up the NOAA agency. Dr. Jane Lubchenco is an environmental scientist and marine ecologist who is actively engaged in teaching, research, synthesis and communication of scientific knowledge. She graduated from Colorado College, received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in marine ecology, taught at Harvard for two years, and has been on the faculty at Oregon State University since 1978. She is an internationally known marine ecologist who is deeply concerned about climate change and overfishing.