Susan K. Avery is president emerita of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, having served as president and director from 2008 to 2015. She also is professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB) where she served on the faculty and in administrative positions from 1982-2007. Currently she is serving as a faculty affiliate in the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at UCB, is a member and chair of the board of trustees of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and serves on the Exxon Mobil Corporation Board of Directors. Dr. Avery holds a PhD in atmospheric sciences from the University of Illinois and a BS in physics from Michigan State University. The author or co-author of over 110 peer-reviewed articles and reports, she has given scientific presentations to a wide variety of lay and professional audiences. She has been active in Congressional outreach, including testimony and briefings; in US and international consortia dedicated to ocean research, observation, and applications; and worked with the Governor’s committee to develop the Massachusetts Green Economy plan. Her recent professional service includes the UN Science Advisory Board and advisory committees for the US Global Change Research program, the Sustained National Climate Assessment, NASA, NSF, and NOAA. Dr. Avery is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Meteorological Society, for which she also served as president. Awards and recognition include honorary degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; charter membership of the National Associate Program in the National Academy of Sciences; and an Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Illinois.