The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today that Susan Ruffo has been appointed as its Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs.

In this appointment, Ruffo will be responsible for developing and coordinating international policies for NOAA to drive the United States’ interests in atmospheric and oceanic research and weather forecasting.

“Susan’s extensive conservation leadership makes her an invaluable addition to NOAA at this critical time when ocean and climate issues are at the forefront of national and international conversations,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “I look forward to working with her to strengthen and advance NOAA’s activities and partnerships globally.”

NOAA  is a science-based federal agency within the Department of Commerce with regulatory, operational, and information service responsibilities with a presence in every state and territory. NOAA’s core missions are to advance the understanding of and ability to anticipate changes in the Earth’s environment, improve society’s ability to make scientifically informed decisions, and to conserve and manage ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes’ resources.

“I am excited and honored to be a part of the incredible team at NOAA at this critical moment for both ocean and climate issues,” said Ruffo.

Ruffo earned Bachelor of Science Degrees in Economics and Political Science from MIT and completed a masters-level program in economics at the Foreign Service Institute. Ruffo brings international experience to the table, having lived and worked in places like Nigeria, Argentina, China, and Singapore.

Ruffo was most recently a senior director and senior advisor for ocean and climate at the United Nations Foundation. Prior to that, she held positions with The Circulate Initiative, Ocean Conservancy, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Department of State.