Mr. Mark Abbott
Director and President, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Mark Abbott took office as the tenth President and Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in October 2015. A biological oceanographer whose research focuses on the interaction of biological and physical processes in the upper ocean, Abbott joined WHOI from Oregon State University where he served as dean and professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Abbott has served on numerous professional committees for federal science funding agencies, scientific societies and laboratories, and has advised the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation (NSF) on ocean information infrastructure. Abbott served a six-year term on the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation and provides scientific advice to the White House and to Congress.
In 2011, Abbott was the recipient of the Jim Gray eScience Award, presented by Microsoft Research and awarded to a nationally recognized researcher who has made outstanding contributions to data-intensive computing. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Consortium for Ocean Leadership and served as president of The Oceanography Society from 2013-2014. He also served on the Board of Trustees for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
Abbott holds a B.S. in conservation of natural resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis.
In 2011, Abbott was the recipient of the Jim Gray eScience Award, presented by Microsoft Research and awarded to a nationally recognized researcher who has made outstanding contributions to data-intensive computing. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Consortium for Ocean Leadership and served as president of The Oceanography Society from 2013-2014. He also served on the Board of Trustees for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
Abbott holds a B.S. in conservation of natural resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis.