Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the world’s independent leader in ocean discovery, exploration, and education, today announced the appointment of Dr. Natalie Nevárez as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. Nevárez will begin in this newly created role on August 1, 2021, and will report directly to Peter de Menocal, President and Director, as a member of WHOI’s senior administration. This appointment is part of a comprehensive plan to increase diversity and representation across all ranks of WHOI’s highly-skilled ocean research community, and to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment for all people contributing to its mission of advancing the frontiers of ocean science.
“We are thrilled to welcome Natalie to WHOI, and I am certain she will have an immediate impact,” said Peter de Menocal, President and Director at WHOI. “Natalie brings deep professional and personal experience to this role, as well as a comprehensive, scholarly, and data-guided approach to diversity in leadership. She has great energy, new ideas and a can-do, collaborative spirit. I am looking forward to working with her to realize our vision of a diverse, equitable and inclusive Institution,” de Menocal said.
Nevárez is joining WHOI from Columbia University where she was the Associate Director for Faculty Diversity and Development in the School of Arts and Sciences. She earned her PhD in biopsychology from The University of Michigan and was a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Natalie also founded the Stanford Latinx Postdocs Association and is a Leadership Board member for 500 Women Scientists.
“I am thrilled to be joining WHOI as Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer,” said Nevárez. “I am looking forward to bringing together the various campus and community-wide diversity efforts into a comprehensive strategy to enhance diversity, justice, belonging, and access for all members of our community.”
About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution:
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in basic and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge and possibility. For more information, please visit www.whoi.edu