The Department of Interior swore in a new director of the U.S. Geological Survey Aug. 15.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland swore in David Applegate, who has been serving as the USGS associate director for natural hazards since January 2021, according to a Department of the Interior news release.
“I am deeply honored to have been nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the USGS and carry out our critical mission,” Applegate said in the news release. “Now more than ever — as changes in the natural world, along with growing human demands, put health and safety, national security and economies at risk — science from USGS will play an indispensable role in the well-being of our nation and planet Earth.”
In April, David Applegate was nominated to lead the U.S. Geological Survey, according to Interior Newswire.
“As people, wildlife and ecosystems face the impacts of the climate crisis, David’s long and impressive tenure will continue to be essential to ensuring that the Department continues to be an international leader in developing the climate science needed to understand the Earth’s past, present and future climate," Haaland said in the news release. "With science at the heart of Interior’s mission, David will also play a key role in helping us to strengthen and reinforce the scientific integrity of the Department’s work."
According to the news release, Applegate spent eight years directing science policy serving as the editor of Geotimes, AGI's news magazine for the earth sciences with the American Geosciences Institute federation of geoscience societies.
The release reported Applegate additionally served the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources as the American Geophysical Union's Congressional Science Fellow, as well as filling the role of a professional staff member. He also has teaching experience at Johns Hopkins University and as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah.
