On Friday, August 12, Dr. Tamara Dickinson, Principal Assistant Director for Environment and Energy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), named Dr. Ann Bartuska to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR). The SGCR, which includes representatives of each of the 13 U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) member agencies, steers the activities of the USGCRP and is responsible for meeting the requirements of the Global Change Research Act of 1990.

Bartuska, an ecosystem ecologist, currently serves as Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In addition to her work with USDA, she co-chairs the Ecological Systems subcommittee of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability of the White House National Science and Technology Council, as well as the Sustainability Roundtable of the National Academy of Sciences(link is external).

Though this leadership role with SGCR is a new one, Bartuska previously served as vice-Chair of the Subcommittee. She brings with her extensive interagency experience, in-depth knowledge of USGCRP and its products, and the perspectives of both users and producers of global change science.

“We here at OSTP and USGCRP are thrilled that Ann has accepted the role of SGCR Chair,” says Dr. Mike Kuperberg, Executive Director of USGCRP. “Her governmental savvy, technical expertise, and leadership role at USDA are well suited to guiding USGCRP into the future.”

Dr. Virginia Burkett, Associate Director for Climate and Land Use Change at the U.S. Geological Survey, will continue in her role as co-Chair of the SGCR, which she has held since May of 2016.

Bartuska takes over the program after the retirement of Tom Karl, who spent 41 years in the Federal service, including six years at the helm of the SGCR.