University of Washington alumna and former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Jane Lubchenco will deliver the 2021 UW virtual commencement address on June 12.

Lubchenco, now a professor at Oregon State University, was recently tapped by President Joe Biden to serve in an historic, newly created role as Deputy Director for Climate and Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which has been elevated to the President’s Cabinet. She was head of NOAA and Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere from 2009 to 2013 during the Obama Administration.

“We are very proud to count Dr. Jane Lubchenco among our alumnae and delighted that she will be this year’s commencement speaker,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. “As a scientist and policy expert, she exemplifies what is possible for our graduates to aspire to, and as we look toward a more hopeful future, her optimism and conviction make her the ideal person to share her experience and perspective.”