Michael Freilich (oceanographer)
Michael Freilich | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael H. Freilich January 14, 1954 Kensington, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | August 5, 2020 (aged 66) |
| Education | Earth science, oceanography |
| Alma mater | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego |
| Occupation | Director of the NASA Earth Science division from 2006–2019 |
| Employer(s) | NASA and formerly Oregon State University |
| Known for | Microwave ocean remote sensing; surface wave modeling |
| Notable work | Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich |
Michael H. Freilich (January 14, 1954 – August 5, 2020) was an American oceanographer who served as director of the NASA Earth Science division from 2006–2019.
In January 2020, NASA announced that the Sentinel-6A Oceanography mission was being renamed the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich in his honor. Freilich played a key role in establishing the international partnership behind this mission. Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), paid tribute to him as follows:
"Mike Freilich exemplified the commitment to excellence, generosity of spirit and the unmatched ability to inspire trust that made so many people across the world want to work with NASA, to advance big goals on behalf of the planet and its people".
In addition to his leadership in defining the direction of Earth systems science research, Michael Freilich was committed to enhancing diversity and increasing educational opportunities for underrepresented groups in remote sensing and climate science research. To this end, Oregon State University has established the Michael Freilich Memorial Fund to support Mike's commitment in this area.