New Director

Kathryn Moran Named Director of Ocean Drilling Programs

5 June 1998
The Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) recently announced the appointment of Dr. Kathryn Moran to the position of Director, Ocean Drilling Programs (ODP). Moran comes to JOI from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography where she has served as a Research Engineer for the Geological Survey of Canada since 1983. In this position, she has been a leader in marine engineering research.

"We're fortunate to have Dr. Moran direct this significant effort as we will benefit by her professional expertise, intimate working knowledge of ODP and her ability to manage in the international arena," said James D. Watkins, Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired) and President of JOI. "She comes at an exciting time as we commemorate 30 years of successful ocean drilling this August and plan for continued excellence in earth sciences research and international collaboration beyond the millennium."

Moran has authored more than 45 publications, primarily in the field of marine geotechnics. She has made major contributions to the assessment of hazards in Canada's large offshore regions including co-authorship of the Canadian Code for the Design and Construction of Offshore Production Structures and management of many applied engineering research projects, including offshore drilling programs. Moran has also initiated and maintained productive international collaborations with researchers in the U.S., Germany, France, Scandinavia, and Japan. As a professor at Dalhousie University, she has served as an advisor to undergraduate and graduate students that have resulted in national awards for theses.

Moran is a registered Professional Engineer and an active member of professional societies, including the Canadian Geotechnical Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the Society for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

She graduated from the Technical University of Nova Scotia (Dalhousie, Halifax) with a Ph.D. in civil engineering. Moran also received a M.Sc. in ocean engineering from the University of Rhode Island and a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Moran will officially assume her new responsibilities on June 19, 1998. She is a citizen of both Canada and the U.S. Both Moran and her husband, Stephen Hurlbut, are active outdoor enthusiasts.

The JOI institutions, a consortium of the 10 premier US ocean research institutions, manages ODP. The Ocean Drilling Program is an international partnership of scientists and research institutions organized to explore the evolution and structure of Earth. The centerpiece of ODP is the drill ship, JOIDES Resolution, which measures 143 meters long and 21 meters wide with a derrick that towers 61.5 meters above the water line. A computer-controlled positioning system maintains the ship over each drill site. The ship drills and retrieves sediment, rock samples and geophysical data from the layers beneath the seafloor.

The Ocean Drilling Program is funded principally by the National Science Foundation, with substantial contributions from its international partners. These include the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Australia/ Canada/ Chinese Taipei/ Korea Consortium for Ocean Drilling, the European Science Foundation Consortium for Ocean Drilling (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey) and now, the People's Republic of China. Texas A&M University is responsible for science operations and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is the operator for downhole logging.