Robert Gagosian

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Robert B. Gagosian (born September 17, 1944) is an American oceanographer. In 2016 he is acting president of the Desert Research Institute in Nevada. Gagosian served as president and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership in Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2015, where he is currently president emeritus.[1] Gagosian served as president and director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) from 1994 to 2006, where he is currently president emeritus.[2][3][4]

Early life and education[edit]

Gagosian was born in Medford, Massachusetts to Ben and Anne Gagosian, and attended Medford High School. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966.[5] He did his graduate work at Columbia University, where in 1970 he received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry.

Career[edit]

Gagosian received a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship, completing research at the University of California at Berkeley between 1970 and 1972.

In 1972, Gagosian was named an assistant scientist at WHOI, where he held a number of positions. He worked as a marine geochemist, including five years as chairman of the chemistry department, six years as WHOI director of research and two as senior associate director, and was appointed director of WHOI,[6] a position he served from 1994 until 2006.

In 2006 and 2007, Gagosian served as the senior science advisor to the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. In this capacity, he helped to develop the scientific content of the Sant Ocean Hall.

Scientific work[edit]

Gagosian studied organic substances produced by marine organisms and their transport and transformation as they dispersed through the water column to the seafloor. He participated in four field programs, including the Sea-Air Exchange Program, which he served as an executive committee member, and 14 oceanographic research voyages, including seven as chief scientist. He is the author or co-author of 85 scientific papers. He mentored five Ph.D. students and nine postdoctoral fellows.

Gagosian has been a visiting fellow the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand and the Australian National University, as well as a visiting scholar at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences and the University of Washington.

Professional activities[edit]

Gagosian has worked on many committees, including ones for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Desert Research Institute, the National Science Foundation,[7] the Moore Foundation's Marine Microbiology Initiative, the Maine Technology Institute Asset Fund, the Geochemical Society, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He was also a member of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, Leadership Council (2010 – Present)[8]

He was a speaker at the India-U.S. Workshop on Science, Diplomacy and Policy in 2011[9] and at the Drager-Stiftung, Drager Foundation, EU-U.S. Conference Series on Sustainable Oceans in Hamburg, Germany, also in 2011.[10] He also worked as associate editor of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, was a faculty fellow of the World Economic Forum,[11] and was a Doherty Lecturer in Ocean Policy at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Gagosian chaired the Oregon State University President's Commission on Ocean, Coastal, and Earth System Futures in 2007,[12] and was a member of the U.S. National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization,[13] the Science Advisory Panel of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy,[14] the advisory board of the Hudson River Institute [15] the NOAA Science Advisory Board, and several other committees concerned with oceanography.

Gagosian was co-chairman of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans[16] and vice chairman of the Council on Ocean Affairs.

In 2007, Gagosian helped to create the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, becoming its first president and CEO.[1] through the merger of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) and the Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI).[17] Gagosian oversaw the management, coordination and facilitation of the organization's ocean research and education programs, and coordinated advocacy to policy makers about the importance of ocean research and education.

Awards and honors[edit]

Gagosian was presented with the Champion of the Ocean Award (2006) by Monmouth University.[18] He was named a Fellow of the Explorers Club as well as of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.[19]

In 2000, Long Island University presented him with an honorary Doctor of Science degree[20] and Northeastern University bestowed an honorary Doctor of Science degree.[21][22][23]

Other awards include the Secretary of State's Open Forum Distinguished Public Service Award, and the Most Outstanding Paper Award in Organic Geochemistry from the Geochemical Society.

Personal life[edit]

Gagosian married his wife Susan in 1979. They have two sons. He owns a home in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and resides in Reno, Nevada.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b COL. "Consortium for Ocean Leadership Names Robert Gagosian President". Consortium for Ocean Leadership. The Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  2. ^ Steven Kazlowski; Theodore Roosevelt (2008). The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World. Braided River. pp. 108–. ISBN 978-1-59485-059-2.
  3. ^ James Martin (30 June 2012). The Meaning Of The 21st Century: A Vital Blueprint For Ensuring Our Future. Transworld. pp. 74–. ISBN 978-1-4481-2758-0.
  4. ^ Robert Chehoski (1 September 2005). Critical Perspectives on Climate Disruption. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 1–. ISBN 978-1-4042-0539-0.
  5. ^ "Class of 1966". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  6. ^ Vicky Cullen (1 January 2005). Down to the Sea for Science: 75 Years of Ocean Research, Education, and Exploration at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. pp. 145–. ISBN 978-1-880224-09-0.
  7. ^ NSF. "1998 Membership List". Directorate for Geosciences. National Science Foundation. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  8. ^ JOCI. "Leadership Council". Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. Meridian Institute. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  9. ^ AAAS. "India-U.S. Workshop on Science, Diplomacy and Policy". Center for Science Diplomacy. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  10. ^ "EU-U.S. Conference Series Sustainable Oceans: Reconciling Economic Use and Protection" (PDF). Dräger Foundation, The Earth Institute of Columbia University and GEOMAR. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  11. ^ Andrew Weaver (5 October 2010). Keeping Our Cool: Canada In A Warming World. Penguin Canada. pp. 140–. ISBN 978-0-14-317657-2.
  12. ^ Gagosian, Robert. "Report of the Oregon State University President's Commission on Ocean, Coastal and Earth System Futures". Commission on Ocean, Coastal and Earth System Futures. Oregon State University. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  13. ^ WHOI. "WHOI Director Appointed to U.S. Commission to UNESCO". Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Science Advisory Panel Members". U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. National Ocean Service. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  15. ^ Revkin, Andrew C. (April 20, 2000). "Plan for Hudson River Institute Gains Ground". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  16. ^ "POGO-2 Summary Report". Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  17. ^ COL. "The History of JOI & CORE becoming the Consortium for Ocean Leadership". Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Urban Coast Institute to Convene 2nd Annual Ocean Future Symposium and Champion of the Ocean Awards". Monmouth University Newswire. Monmouth University. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  19. ^ "Academy Members 1780-Present". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  20. ^ "WHOI Director Receives Honorary Degree from Long Island University". Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  21. ^ "Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degrees". University Libraries. Northeastern University. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  22. ^ "Southampton College Honorary Degree Recipients (1967 - 2005)". Long Island University. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  23. ^ "Commencement Speakers & Honorary Degrees". Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections. Northeastern University. Retrieved 24 July 2012.

External links[edit]

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