United States Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent Jennifer R. Littlejohn (Acting) since May 1, 2023
Style	The Honorable
Reports to	Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Nominator	President of the United States
Inaugural holder	Dixy Lee Ray
Formation	1975
Website	Official Website

The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs reports to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. President Donald Trump appointed Andrew Lawler to the post as Acting Assistant Secretary and nominated him to the Senate-confirmed post on September 8, 2020.^[1] His nomination was returned to the President by the United States Senate on January 3, 2021. President Joe Biden nominated Monica Medina as Assistant Secretary on April 27, 2021.^[2] Medina was confirmed by the Senate on September 28, 2021, by a vote of 61–36.^[3]

The goal of the agency is to "advance America's security and prosperity through international leadership on oceans, environment, science, space, and health".^[4]

Assistant Secretaries of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, 1975—present

Name	Assumed office	Left office	President appointed by
Dixy Lee Ray	January 19, 1975	June 20, 1975	Gerald Ford
Frederick Irving	April 28, 1976	March 26, 1977	Gerald Ford
Patsy T. Mink	March 28, 1977	May 1, 1978	Jimmy Carter
Thomas R. Pickering	October 10, 1978	February 24, 1981	Jimmy Carter
James L. Malone	June 1, 1981	July 22, 1985	Ronald Reagan
John Negroponte	July 19, 1985	November 23, 1987	Ronald Reagan
Frederick M. Bernthal	May 24, 1988	March 16, 1990	Ronald Reagan
E. U. Curtis Bohlen	June 27, 1990	October 31, 1992	George H. W. Bush
Elinor G. Constable	June 2, 1993	September 15, 1995	Bill Clinton
Eileen B. Claussen	January 19, 1996^[5]	July 18, 1997	Bill Clinton
David B. Sandalow	October 28, 1999	January 19, 2001	Bill Clinton
John F. Turner	November 13, 2001	July 11, 2005	George W. Bush
Claudia A. McMurray	February 21, 2006	January 20, 2009	George W. Bush
Kerri-Ann Jones	August 20, 2009	April 25, 2014	Barack Obama
Judith G. Garber (acting)	April 26, 2014	September 7, 2017	Barack Obama Donald Trump
vacant	September 7, 2017	September 7, 2020	Donald Trump
Jonathan M. Moore (acting)	September 8, 2020	January 20, 2021	Donald Trump
vacant	January 20, 2021	August 5, 2021	Joe Biden
Marcia Bernicat (acting)	August 6, 2021	September 28, 2021	Joe Biden
Monica Medina	September 28, 2021	April 28, 2023	Joe Biden
Jennifer R. Littlejohn (acting)	May 1, 2023	Present	Joe Biden

Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, 2014—2021

Name	Assumed office	Left office	Title
Judith G. Garber	April 26, 2014	January 1, 2019	(Acting Assistant Secretary April 26, 2014 – September 7, 2017) Senior Bureau Official September 8, 2017 – January 1, 2019
Marcia Bernicat	January 1, 2019	April 3, 2020	Senior Bureau Official
Jonathan M. Moore	April 3, 2020	September 7, 2020	Senior Bureau Official April 3 – September 7 (named Acting Assistant Secretary September 8, 2020 - January 20, 2021)
Marcia Bernicat	January 20, 2021	August 5, 2021	Senior Bureau Official January 20 – August 5 (named Acting Assistant Secretary August 6, 2021)

Notes and references

^ "PN2202—Nomination of Andrew John Lawler for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019–2020)". January 3, 2021.
^ "President Biden Announces 12 Key Climate and Infrastructure Administration Nominations". The White House. April 22, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Monica P. Medina, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs)". US Senate. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
^ "Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
^ State Department Archived Biographies—Eileen B. Claussen. Archived December 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.

v t e United States Assistant Secretaries of State (and equivalent ranks)
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs	African Affairs East Asian and Pacific Affairs European and Eurasian Affairs International Organization Affairs Near Eastern Affairs South and Central Asian Affairs Western Hemisphere Affairs
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment	Economic and Business Affairs Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Energy Resources Chief Economist of the Department
Reporting to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security	Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance International Security and Nonproliferation Political-Military Affairs
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Reporting to the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights	Conflict and Stabilization Operations Coordinator for Counterterrorism, with rank and status of Ambassador-at-Large Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Population, Refugees, and Migration Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (Ambassador-at-Large) Global Criminal Justice (Ambassador-at-Large)
Reporting directly to the Secretary	Intelligence and Research Legislative Affairs Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department Inspector General Legal Adviser Director, Policy Planning Staff Director, Office of Foreign Assistance Director, Office of Civil Rights and Chief Diversity Officer Chief of Protocol of the United States, with the rank of Ambassador Global Women's Issues (Ambassador-at-Large) Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally (Ambassador-at-Large)