Dean for College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

Roberta Marinelli serves as Dean for the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.  Prior to coming to Oregon State University, she was the Executive Director of the University of Southern California, Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. She played a leadership role in planning and implementing an expansion of academic and research programs in environmental studies at USC’s University Park Campus, and directed the Philip K. Wrigley Marine Science Center on Santa Catalina Island. Dr. Marinelli also oversaw the George and Mary Lou Boone Center for Science and Environmental Leadership, a nexus where scientists and policy makers can meet to resolve environmental challenges.

Dr. Marinelli was the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, the President of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Marine Institute, a member of the Executive Committee of the Western Association for Marine Laboratories, and served on the Governing Board of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System.

Prior to her arrival at USC, Dr. Marinelli was the Director of the Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program in the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Sciences section, where she helped to lead the development of collaborative, interdisciplinary programs across the Foundation, including the International Polar Year, Climate Research Investments, and SEES (Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability). She was a tenured associate professor on the faculty at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science, and an assistant professor at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. Dr. Marinelli received her master’s and doctoral degrees in marine science from the University of South Carolina, and her bachelor’s degree from Brown University. She is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society.

College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

OSU's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) is internationally recognized as a leader in the study of the Earth as an integrated system. The college's research productivity, the national and international reputations of the faculty, and success in obtaining external funding allow CEOAS to make significant contributions to global Earth science knowledge.

CEOAS operates numerous state-of-the art laboratories and two oceanographic research vessels, the 177-foot ocean-going Oceanus and the Elakha, a 54-foot coastal research vessel. The college has an annual budget of more than $50 million, with much of the research support coming from the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other federal agencies. It has approximately 104 faculty, 220 graduate students and 613 undergraduate students.

Graduate programs include a Master's degree in Marine Resource Management, and Master's and PhD degrees in Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Geology; and Geography. These degree programs prepare students for research, teaching, management, and policy positions in academic, governmental, and private sector organizations. The new undergraduate program in Earth Sciences, together with the Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Program, provide educational and research opportunities for the best undergraduate students, a national honors college for the Earth. 

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