Trump Names Neil Jacobs for NOAA Leadership

President Trump has selected atmospheric scientist Neil Jacobs to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Subject to confirmation, Jacobs will undertake his second leadership role at the agency. He initially acted as NOAA's administrator from 2019 until Trump's term concluded in January 2021.

The 'Sharpiegate' Controversy

One aspect of Jacobs' previous tenure etched in memory is the 'Sharpiegate' incident in September 2019. This episode unfolded when Trump presented a hurricane forecast map altered with a marker to indicate the storm's path reaching parts of Alabama—a move not supported by official data. Trump had earlier inaccurately stated that the storm would affect the state.

Following Trump's assertions, NOAA issued a statement that appeared to support his claim and reprimanded the National Weather Service for clarifying that Alabama wasn't in the direct path of the storm.

Ultimately, Hurricane Dorian veered away from the U.S. coast, maintaining its course east of Florida.

The event stirred internal scrutiny, with NOAA's Science Council later accusing Jacobs of breaching scientific integrity policies by backing Trump’s imprecise storm prediction as formal NOAA communication.

Jacobs' Current Endeavors and Views

Neil Jacobs is currently involved with the community Unified Forecast System (UFS), under the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) at North Carolina State University. This project aims to create a collaborative, open-source infrastructure for weather modeling that bridges research and operational forecasts.

Jacobs champions the integration of research efforts across public, private, and academic realms, advocating for innovation benefiting all sectors. He articulated his perspective in a 2021 publication in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Before his NOAA appointment, Jacobs led atmospheric science research at a company, focusing on aviation weather technologies and models.

Future Outlook for NOAA

In a podcast from November 2024, Jacobs shared insights on NOAA's future, discussing potential shifts in federal agency operations. He evaluated a set of conservative policy proposals from The Heritage Foundation, emphasizing that altering legally mandated operations requires legislative reform rather than executive action.

Jacobs highlighted that NOAA’s activities are grounded in Congressional mandates, suggesting significant legislative changes would be necessary to alter its course.

Recognition and Academic Background

Recently, Jacobs was honored as a 2025 Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, acknowledging his substantial contributions to atmospheric sciences over many years.

Academically, Jacobs holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics from the University of South Carolina, complemented by a master's and a doctoral degree in atmospheric science from North Carolina State University.