Michael Morgan, formerly a professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has received Senate confirmation to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and deputy administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Morgan, who brings more than two decades of scientific leadership experience to the position, will oversee agency-wide operations related to weather, water, climate and ocean observations, NOAA said Friday.
“His decades of world-renowned atmospheric and oceanic scientific expertise and dedicated service to the community make him ideally qualified to help guide NOAA’s lifesaving observation and prediction activities,” said Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce.
Morgan said he will work closely with the NOAA team to expand the nation’s earth system prediction capabilities, develop a diverse workforce and create tools designed to utilize authoritative weather and climate data more effectively.
He previously served as the division director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences and a senior legislative fellow on energy and environmental issues in the office of Sen. Benjamin Cardin.
