Leadership Profiles
The staff and faculty members overseeing day-to-day operations and supporting the goals of the director and the institution.
Meenakshi Wadhwa
Charles F. Kennel Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
As Director of Scripps, Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa is responsible for management of the campus, ship facilities, and other off campus sites. As Vice Chancellor, she coordinates activities related to marine and environmental science across UC San Diego. And as Dean, she is responsible for the coordination of academic and research programs for Marine Sciences.
Meenakshi Wadhwa succeeded Margaret Leinen as director on Oct. 1, 2025.
Gilbert, Jack
Deputy Director for Research and Associate Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences
As Deputy Director for Research, Jack Gilbert coordinates and fosters new research developments, oversees research infrastructure, research space, internal research support, researcher hiring, limited proposal submissions, the SIO postdoc program, organizes the semi-annual research retreat, coordinates the review of centers and sections, serves as the Director in the Director’s absence and as a member of the Scripps Senior Staff. Additional details can be found here (pdf).
CALLAGHAN, PATRICK
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Finance & Operations
Patrick functions as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer to Scripps Oceanography, providing leadership and oversight for budget and finance; contracts & grants; network operations; facilities; campus planning and construction; and human resources management. More about his team can be found here.
RITZMAN, KATHLEEN
Associate Director, Marine Sciences
Leads Scripps Office of Government Relations, Research Development, Strategic Partnerships, and Events. Facilitates extramural funding at the federal, state and local levels, promotes strategic collaboration with external partners, and engages key external stakeholders in support of Scripps priorities, research, educational and infrastructure programs, and initiatives. Program Areas include research development, planning, positioning, and partnerships; government and corporate relations; and institutional events and venue management.
APPELGATE, BRUCE
Associate Director, Ship Operations and Marine Technical Support (SOMTS)
Appelgate has executive responsibility for the management of the SIO fleet of research vessels and the scientific capabilities aboard them. This includes administrative and support activities at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility, expedition scheduling and planning, and oceanographic technical services. He also manages the UC Ship Funds program, and supervises the Scripps programs in Scientific Diving, Scientific Boating, the Marine Science Development Center, and is the Scripps representative to the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).
AUZENNE, KEIARA
Director of Organizational Transformation & Community Enrichment
Keiara Auzenne is the Director of Organizational Transformation & Community Enrichment for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In this position she is tasked with strategic initiatives focused on Collective Impact, Leadership Development, and Community Enrichment for students, staff and faculty at Scripps. She is a LEAD Fellow and serves on various UC San Diego campus committees, including the VCOT Advisory Committee, the Chancellor's Antisemitism Workgroup, the Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Women, and the Chancellor's Childcare Oversight Committee. Full bio.
Allen, Eric
SIO Department Chair and Deputy Director for Education
The SIO Department Chair and Deputy Director for Education provides leadership for Scripps's educational programs, with responsibilities for faculty and students, and serves as a member of Scripps Senior Staff. The Department handles undergraduate and graduate course scheduling and instructor assignments, graduate admissions and funding, student advising, student approval forms, faculty recruitment, faculty advancement and promotion, teaching assignments, and graduate student and faculty leave requests.
Barbeau, Kathy
Program Director, Geosciences of Earth, Oceans, and Planets (GEO)
The Program Directors help organize teaching assignments within the curricular groups and for undergraduate education and MAS programs associated with their area, approve new courses and fellowship decisions within the program, and provide guidance to section heads on future faculty hires so that teaching needs are represented. A complete position description can be found here.
Barton, Andrew
Faculty Chair
The faculty chair is an elected member of the faculty, representing the interests of professors and researchers in the shared governance of the university. The faculty chair serves as the interface for the Faculty in dealings with the administration and the Academic Senate.
Constable, Cathy
Section Head, Earth
Scripps divides its research and academic activities into three sections, Oceans & Atmospheres, Earth and Biology. The section head coordinates research, budgets and space for their respective section, as well as facilitating section wide discussions on hiring and other priorities. The section head job description can be found here.
Cook, Geoff
SIO Department Vice Chair for Undergraduate Education
The Vice Chair for Undergraduate Education works to ensure high-quality undergraduate education at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The VCUGED works closely with Department leadership, Student Affairs, Program Directors, the undergraduate major steering committees, and the faculty on all aspects of curriculum, pedagogy, and student affairs management in the four undergraduate majors at SIO. In addition, the VCUGED serves as the Department representative to the UC San Diego Council on Undergraduate Education (CUE), and as the Faculty Advisor to all SIO Instructional Assistants.
Fialko, Yuri
SIO Department Vice Chair
The SIO Department Vice Chair supports the Department Chair and helps to provide leadership for Scripps's educational programs, with responsibilities for faculty and students, and serves as a member of Scripps Senior Staff.
HANSES, DAVID
Executive Director of Development
The Executive Director of Development manages the engagement of Marine Sciences’ most capable and generous donors in considering transformational gifts to support Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Vice Chancellor-Marine Sciences’ highest priorities. For more information about our current funding priorities and giving opportunities, please see our website: scripps.ucsd.edu/giving
HELLING, HARRY
Executive Director, Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Leads the public aquarium and outreach center for Scripps Oceanography at UC San Diego. Full bio
Leichter, James
Program Director, Ocean Biosciences (OBP)
The Program Directors help organize teaching assignments within the curricular groups and for undergraduate education and MAS programs associated with their area, approve new courses and fellowship decisions within the program, and provide guidance to section heads on future faculty hires so that teaching needs are represented. A complete position description can be found here.
Mcclean, Julie
Section Head, Oceans and Atmosphere
Scripps divides its research and academic activities into three sections, Oceans & Atmospheres, Earth and Biology. The section head coordinates research, budgets and space for their respective section, as well as facilitating section wide discussions on hiring and other priorities. The section head job description can be found here.
Norris, Joel
Program Director, Climate-Oceans-Atmosphere (COAP)
The Program Directors help organize teaching assignments within the curricular groups and for undergraduate education and MAS programs associated with their area, approve new courses and fellowship decisions within the program, and provide guidance to section heads on future faculty hires so that teaching needs are represented. A complete position description can be found here.
Oh, Shauna
Director of California Sea Grant
The Director provides leadership and programmatic oversight of California Sea Grant, a program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that is part of a national network of 34 programs that promotes better understanding, conservation, and use of coastal resources.
Palenik, Brian
Associate Dean of Marine Sciences
The Associate Dean, working with the Director of SIO Academic Personnel, advises the Dean on all academic personnel matters. These include recruitment and hiring, the academic review process (promotion and advancement), and issues of general compensation and retention. The associate dean also serves as the interface between the Scripps Committee on Academic Personnel and other campus academic reviewers.
SANDIN, STUART
Section Head, Biology
Scripps divides its research and academic activities into three sections, Oceans & Atmospheres, Earth and Biology. The section head coordinates research, budgets and space for their respective section, as well as facilitating section wide discussions on hiring and other priorities. The section head job description can be found here.
WOOD, LAUREN
Director of Strategic Communications
Lauren Fimbres Wood serves as the marketing and communications lead for Scripps Institution of Oceanography with a focus on strategic communications. She oversees strategic planning, branding, press release and editorial content, media relations (local to global), social media, video content creation, and digital media including newsletters and website content. Visit the Scripps News page for more information.