Usha Varanasi

Usha Varanasi is an Indian-American marine scientist who in 1994 became the first woman to lead one of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's major field laboratories for fisheries, until her retirement in 2010. she focuses on questions about how exposure to nature can improve people's health. She is an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the [http://www.washacad.org/ Washington State Academy of Sciences].

As an affiliate professor at University of Washington's College of the Environment, Dr. Varanasi serves on the steering committee for its Nature and Health Program, a multidisciplinary undertaking that aims to better understand how experiences in nature impact human health and well-being, and benefit both people and the environment. Provided by Wikipedia