David Applegate is an American academic who has served as director of the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

since 2022. He is also a professor at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

Education

Applegate earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and a PhD in geology from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

Career

Applegate is an adjunct full professor at the

. From 2004 to 2011, he served as senior science advisor for earthquake and geologic hazards at the

. Since May 2011, he has served as associate director of the USGS for natural hazards.

USGS Nomination

On January 20, 2021, Applegate began serving as acting director of the USGS. On March 8, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Applegate to serve as director of the agency. Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Energy Committee on April 28, 2022. The committee favorably reported his nomination to the Senate floor on June 14, 2022. His nomination was confirmed by the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

by voice vote. He was sworn in by Interior Secretary

Deb Haaland Debra Anne Haaland (; born December 2, 1960) is an American politician serving as the 54th United States Secretary of the Interior, United States secretary of the interior. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she s ...

on August 15, 2022.

References

Living people Yale College alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni American geologists University of Utah faculty United States Geological Survey personnel Year of birth missing (living people) {{Geologist-stub