University of Minnesota faculty to serve in White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and United States Global Change Research Program

Heidi Roop, Director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP), is joining the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on a temporary assignment as the Assistant Director for Climate Services. She will also serve as Deputy Director for Services with the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Roop is an assistant professor of climate science and Extension specialist at the University of Minnesota. Her one-year post in Washington, D.C., begins this week.

In the White House role, Roop will support President Biden’s climate agenda by assisting with the delivery of federal climate-related data, tools, resources and services intended to help the nation manage climate risks and implement solutions. 

“This appointment affirms the momentum generated by MCAP around climate adaptation in the Midwest region,” said Bev Durgan, dean of University of Minnesota Extension. “Under Heidi’s leadership, Minnesota has emerged as a national model in the delivery of critical climate information and services. This assignment will enhance both the knowledge and relationships that allow MCAP to continue its growth and serve Minnesotans as we confront changing weather and climate risks.”

“This opportunity will help us develop enhanced expertise in climate-related policy development, further strengthening the climate adaptation resources and research programs we are building at the University of Minnesota,” said Brian Buhr, dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). MCAP is a unit within both Extension and CFANS.

MCAP Associate Director Nathan Meyer will serve as the partnership’s interim director during Roop’s tenure at the White House. “We know that climate change is of increasing concern to Minnesotans and the threat of climate-related impacts continues to grow,” Meyer said. “Since joining MCAP in 2020, Heidi has established the organization as a critical climate information and service provider in Minnesota and the Midwest. Over the next year, we look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to connect with and enhance the resilience of Minnesota’s communities and landscapes.”