“I’m the kind of person that likes to focus on something and get it solved,” admits Marcia McNutt ’74, President of the National Academy of Sciences. She’s tackled big challenges throughout her career, from plate tectonics to oil blowouts to sexual harassment in science. And it all began with her first block at CC in 1970, Intro to Geology.
“The Block Plan was really important for me as a future scientist because it actually replicated what life would be like as a scientist,” she says. “When I arrived, Professor Lewis told us to go back to our dorms, pack up our sleeping bags and a backpack, and we were going to go out in the field. We were in the field for all of September and October with just a couple of weekends back at campus. We didn’t crack a book for the entire two months. That experience really confirmed for me that I wanted to do science outside – not to be standing around in a little white lab coat with beakers.”
McNutt went on to major in Physics, earn her PhD in Earth Sciences at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and pursue an academic career at MIT leading large oceanographic expeditions. At that juncture, she pivoted from academic research to leadership, making space for the next generation of researchers.
“I realized that what people seem to value from me most was not my own research, but what I thought was the value of other people’s research.”
Her leadership highlights include serving as president and CEO of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Director of the United States Geological Society, and Editor-In-Chief of Science magazine – the first woman in all three positions.
When asked about the many glass ceilings she’s broken for women in science, she smiles. “What took them so long? Women were running these organizations for decades, but this was a final recognition that you don’t need to have male figureheads at the top.”
In 2009, another CC alum played a key role in her journey. Ken Salazar ’77, then-Secretary of the Interior, convinced her to move from California to Washington, D.C. to lead The United States Geological Survey (USGS). During her tenure there, she advised the administration on initiatives including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Superstorm Sandy, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
“I loved Ken. He was just one of my best bosses ever,” McNutt shares. “He always had my back and sometimes he gave me tough advice, but because he was a politician and I wasn’t, I learned a lot from him.”
In her day-to-day work, she uses not only her scientific knowledge, but writing and intercultural communications that she credits to a liberal arts education. Just as she benefitted from multi-disciplinary learning, she believes bringing disciplines together is the key to solving big challenges like climate change.
That’s one of her key initiatives at the National Academy of Sciences— bringing together expertise from sociology, public health, engineering, and geopolitics in a climate crossroads.
“We understand the science of climate change very well. But what we really need to focus on is climate change action,” says McNutt. “Action is not something that is prescribed by, or even unique to, geoscience departments.”
McNutt hopes her legacy, supported by the incredible teams she worked with, is a stronger scientific community. “I hope that I am most remembered for my efforts to hold people accountable in their personal and professional behavior,” says McNutt, citing new NAS bylaws holding members accountable for scientific and personal misconduct, including sexual harassment.
As for the next generation, she hopes they have access to an education like she did. “We don’t all need to be scientists, but we all need to understand the scientific method. That starts with an inquisitive, discovery-based education.”