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USGS Names Larsen Associate Water Director

July 7, 2008

In his associate director role, Matthew C. Larsen, Ph.D., has programmatic responsibility for all water-related research and activities at the U.S. Geological Survey. He will be responsible for water issues relating to flooding, water quality, drought, climate change, and water availability.

Larsen has been the leader of the USGS National Research Program in hydrology as chief scientist since 2005.

"Matt has an outstanding record as a research scientist, advancing knowledge of hydrologic and landslide processes in tropical ecosystems. He has worked closely with the National Science Foundation on collaborative efforts in water research and has directed USGS hydrologic research in advancing the understanding of the impacts of climate change on hydrologic systems," said USGS Director Mark Myers.

As USGS Caribbean District Chief, Larsen supervised water resources programs and worked with external partners in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands starting in 2000. That same year, he also served as a coordinator and researcher on a USGS international mission that responded to the December 1999 landslide and flashflood disaster in Venezuela.

Larsen earned a bachelor's degree in geology in 1976 from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and a doctorate in geography at the University of Colorado-Boulder in 1997. He also is the chair of the U.S. National Committee for the UNESCO International Hydrological Program.