Meenakshi Wadhwa Appointed as Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences at UC San Diego and Assumes Role as 12th Leader of Our Organization
Meenakshi Wadhwa to Lead Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego
Meenakshi Wadhwa, a distinguished Earth and planetary scientist, has been appointed as the next Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Dean of the School of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego). The appointment will take effect on October 1, 2025 [1][2][3].
Wadhwa's extensive experience and research expertise make her an ideal candidate to lead UC San Diego's prestigious ocean, Earth, and atmospheric sciences research and educational programs. Scripps Institution, under her leadership, operates with an annual budget of $304 million and includes a fleet of four research vessels. The institution focuses on critical global challenges such as climate change impacts and adaptation, hazard resilience, biodiversity conservation, oceans and human health, national security, and innovative planet-observing technologies [1][2].
Born in India, Wadhwa received her bachelor's and master's degrees in geology from Panjab University in Chandigarh. She later pursued her doctorate in earth and planetary sciences from Washington University in St. Louis. Her career has seen her participate in expeditions of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites Program, for which she received the Antarctica Service Medal [1].
Wadhwa's impressive academic career includes her role as the Director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) at Arizona State University (ASU) for the last six years. She has also served as NASA's Principal Scientist for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Program since 2021 [1].
Wadhwa's achievements have earned her numerous accolades. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Meteoritical Society, and the recipient of the Nier Prize of the Meteoritical Society, among others [1]. She has also been awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award [1].
Margaret Leinen, who has served as Vice Chancellor, Director, and Dean since 2013, will continue in the role until Wadhwa arrives in San Diego. Leinen announced she was stepping down from the role last summer [1].
Scripps education programs serve approximately 350 doctoral and master's students, as well as seven undergraduate majors that serve nearly 900 students and teach courses to over 7,000 UC San Diego students [1]. Wadhwa will hold the Charles F. Kennel Director's Endowed Chair [2].
As Wadhwa prepares to join UC San Diego, she reflects on her early career at Scripps Oceanography, where she worked as a postdoctoral scholar alongside the late Günter W. Lugmair [1]. This appointment marks a full-circle moment for Wadhwa, who is excited to return to her roots and lead one of the world's foremost oceanographic institutions [1].
[1] - UC San Diego News Center [2] - Scripps Institution of Oceanography [3] - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, under Meenakshi Wadhwa's leadership, as the next Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director, and Dean of the School of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at UC San Diego, will continue to conduct oceanographic research, contributing significantly to the field of science. Education and self-development are also integral parts of Wadhwa's vision as the institution serves around 350 doctoral and master's students, seven undergraduate majors, and over 7,000 UC San Diego students through its education programs.
