Andrew Read named next director of the Duke Marine Lab

Andrew Read, Stephen A. Toth professor of marine biology, will become the new director of the Duke University Marine Lab.

Following a national search, Provost Sally Kornbluth announced Wednesday that Reed will succeed Cindy Van Dover, who has served 10 years as the Marine Lab's director and will continue as Harvey W. Smith professor of biological oceanography in the Nicholas School of the Environment. Read will begin his new position July 1.  

“These are exciting times at the Marine Lab and I am confident Andy possesses the skills, scholarship and vision to guide its continued strategic growth in programs, facilities and enrollment,” Kornbluth said in a Duke Today release. “He’s an exemplary scientist, teacher, administrator and leader.”

Read has conducted field research in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Antarctica. His current work at the Marine Lab focuses on documenting the effects of human activities on marine animals and developing methods to combat these problems.

“We thrive on taking an interdisciplinary approach to identifying the next big challenges facing our oceans and planet, and then rolling up our sleeves and getting to work,” Read said in the release.

Reed previously served on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Cetacean Specialist Group and the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee. In 2015, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as chairman of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, which oversees marine mammal policies and programs carried out by federal regulatory agencies. 

An expert on sea turtles, sea birds and marine mammals, Read also currently teaches classes on marine life for undergraduate and graduate students. 

“Andy’s commitment to the Marine Lab and his vision for its future, combined with his leadership experience and global reputation as a scientist, make him a terrific choice,” said Alan Townsend, dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, in the release. “We are thrilled that he has agreed to serve as the Duke Marine Lab’s next director.”